Hard Times
by LadyxB
Summary: Han and Leia go on a mission that ends up being more difficult than they could have imagined.
1. Chapter 1

A/N:This is the start of another longer story. I have to warn you now that these updates may not come as fast as my previous story because school has been incredibly busy, but I will try my best. I hope you all read and enjoy!

* * *

><p>Prologue-<p>

"Han?" Leia spoke quietly and cautiously.

Han's head had bobbed to lay with his chin against his chest. It took all he had to lift his head up and look at her. When their eyes met, Leia gasped in fear and shock.

"Oh, Han!"

He tried to smile at her.

""M alright. Just a few scratches." He seemed to gag on his words. His breaths became raspy and his head fell back against the hard cement wall of the cell.

Leia tried to move closer to him, but the chains that bound her hands and feet kept her immobilized.

"Han, we're going to get out of this." Her pleas were desperate. "Luke will come, I'm sure of it. You just have to hold on."

Han didn't say anything, just focused on trying to get his breathing back to normal. When he coughed, Leia saw spots of blood spew from his mouth. She grimaced and with tears in her eyes spoke to him once more.

"I'm so sorry, Han. This is all my fault. You just have to hold on. Please!"

He lifted his head up again and tried to smile to reassure her.

When he spoke, his voice came out hoarse and he spoke slowly. "Not your fault. Just need sleep."

His eyes drooped and he laid his head against the wall. He spoke again before succumbing to sleep.

"Love you."

Leia's scream pierced the air, but Han did not move.


	2. Chapter 2

Three Weeks Earlier-

"Han?" Leia's voice echoed through the Falcon. "Han Solo, are you in here?"

She stormed through the ship, looking for the captain. She finally found him in the back, toying with one of the parts that had malfunctioned, again.

"Han Solo."

She stared at him, with a stony expression and her arms crossed at her chest. Han continued to work on the ship, not hearing her above the sound of one of his tools. Leia tried waiting as patiently as she could, but her annoyance was growing and she could no longer take it.

"Han!"

He looked up from his work and turned off the tool.

Smiling, he answered her. "Hiya, sweetheart. What's with the tone?"

He flashed her a brilliant smile and her lips quivered upwards. She immediately turned it into a frown because she wasn't letting him get away with this that easily.

"Han, do you know what time it is?"

He tried to muster the most innocent look he could.

"Nope. Why? Did I miss something?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Funny that you should ask. Yes, you did miss _something_. Remember that meeting you were supposed to attend? The one where you were going to make a very important presentation?"

Leia stared at him, her foot tapping with impatience. Han looked down in guilt.

"I-uh. I thought that wasn't until tomorrow."

She stared at him incredulously. "You did not think that was tomorrow! I have been reminding you about this meeting, and pressing you about this presentation for the past few weeks. I even told you this morning before I left! You told me 'I got this' and then waved me away from bed."

He looked at her sheepishly. "I was sleepy. You can't hold me responsible with information so early in the morning. You know that."

Han tried moving closer to her to kiss her, but she swatted him away.

"Oh, I'm going to kill you! I've been telling you for weeks! Another pilot ended up having to make the presentation. Do you know how humiliating that is for me?"

Han frowned.

"Humiliating for you? I'm sorry, princess, but I told you from the start that I didn't want to do this. I'll do anything for this Alliance, but I don't want to have to speak about it! You should have listened to me in the first place and then maybe you wouldn't have felt so _humiliated_."

Leia's cheeks turned rosy.

"Do not turn this around on me, Han! You may not have been happy about it, but you did agree to it, therefore you should have done it!"

"Well, excuse me, but maybe I had more important things to deal with that took up my time. It wasn't that I didn't do it on purpose. I forgot!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Your ship can wait to be fixed, Han. This presentation wouldn't have taken an hour and then you could be back to playing with this heap of junk."

His eyes widened in horror, and Leia immediately regretted what she had said.

She spoke, "I didn't mean-"

"This heap of junk, that has done so much for you by the way, does not appreciate you calling it a heap of junk. Now, please kindly get off my ship."

"Now really, Han, I didn't mean that. You're just being so infuriating and I can't-Han! Listen to me!"

Han had already turned away from her and put his tool back on. He ignored her. Leia stood for a moment in shock, before turning on her heel and exiting the ship. She yelled to him before leaving.

"Fine! Don't bother coming back home tonight then!"

* * *

><p>Leia couldn't believe his nerve. After missing the presentation, he couldn't even handle his mistakes like a mature adult. She should have expected this behavior, since the man could not handle criticism, but she never thought he would kick her off his ship. To be fair, she had insulted it, but it was in a moment of anger, and she really shouldn't have been punished so severely for it.<p>

She was standing in the middle of their living room, pacing back and forth, shaking with anger. Leia tore her wedding ring off her finger and flung it across the room, but then thought better of it and ran to retrieve it. She placed the ring back on her finger, twirling it around while she thought over the situation.

She and Han were no strangers to fighting, and often times, she rather enjoyed it because a fight always meant that they could make up later, but this time she was left feeling particularly unstable. While it had been irresponsible of him to miss the meeting, she knew she shouldn't have pressed him too hard into doing it in the first place, and the pilot who stood in for him had done a rather feasible job. It was more of the fact that he had ignored her that made her so mad.

Leia sat down on the couch and tried to ease her nerves. She placed a hand on her stomach, and even though she was barely two months pregnant and hadn't begun to show yet, found comfort in the small gesture. At least she wasn't completely alone at the moment.

She found herself wishing that Han would have ignored her last statement, or hadn't heard it in the first place, and would come home so that they could make up. All she would have to do was call him on the comm, or go back there and apologize for insulting his ship, but she was much too stubborn. They were both too stubborn.

In the past few weeks, Leia felt her emotions getting the best of her, and the person she usually targeted was Han. She attributed the mood changes to her pregnancy, and felt vindicated for being sometimes harsh to Han because he was the one who placed her in this predicament in the first place. When she acted in such a way, he would usually just laugh and brush it off, kiss the top of her head and suggest that she lay down for awhile. But now that he had argued with her in response, she was able to see how bad she had really been.

She sighed, annoyed that it was this situation, when she felt she was right about the argument, that was the one that would make her have to apologize. It just didn't seem right. Leia pulled the comm from her pocket and went to call him, when the front door opened and Han stepped through.

He was looking down, but when he looked up and saw her, he stopped immediately.

They stared at each other, until he was the first to speak.

"Oh, uh. Hi." He scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out what to say. "I, uh. I just needed to grab a few things. I thought you might have gone back to work."

He said this last line as a sort of apology for coming back, and a fresh wave of guilt washed over Leia. She stood up and walked towards him. He stared at her, his expression one of confusion, and when she threw herself at him, he flinched slightly, not knowing her intentions.

"Oh, Han, I'm sorry!" She hugged him around the waist, and her voice was muffled as she laid her head on his chest.

He patted her head soothingly, but still looked confused. "Uh, what? I didn't really hear that."

Leia lifted her head to look at him.

"I said I'm sorry. I overreacted, and even though you should have come to the meeting, I shouldn't have assaulted you like that. And you should never apologize for coming home."

He sighed. "That's alright, sweetheart. I should have been there, but I did really forget the time and the day just sort of passed quickly. But when you came in there with that scary look in your eye, I guess I overreacted too."

He smiled at her, but she frowned.

"That's my fault. I've been giving you a hard time lately. And I know it might be from the hormones, but I shouldn't let it get a hold of me like that. I'm sorry."

Rather than respond, he leaned down and kissed her.

"You know," he grinned at her suggestively. "I think I may know a way you can make it up to me."

Leia smiled now.

"Oh really? How so?"

He pulled her by the hand and led her into their bedroom.

* * *

><p>The next day, Leia sat in her office, her stomach growling, and wondering if Han might bring her something to eat.<p>

She spoke to him through the comm. "Han?"

It took him a moment, but he responded. "Your highness?"

"What are you doing?

He seemed a little surprised by her question. "Uh, nothing really. Why did I miss something again?"

She laughed. "No, no. I was just curious. I'm kind of hungry and-"

"Say no more, sweetheart. I'll be over shortly."

He was gone before she could answer. She put away the comm and smiled in contentment. There was a knock on the door and she looked up in surprise.

"He couldn't possibly-" But then she realized that Han really couldn't be at the door because he would never knock. "Who is it?"

"Princess? It's Riekken. May I come in for a few minutes?"

Leia stood and let him in.

"Please sit, General. How are you?"

He returned her smile, but his expression was grave. He took a moment for them to both sit before answering.

"I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news, princess."

Leia couldn't bother to look surprised.

"Oh?"

"I know it's been awhile since we've had to do undercover work, but I'm afraid there's a situation that has come up that requires it. I thought I'd come to you first to ask who you thought would be good for the job."

"What is it?"

"I'm afraid I cannot divulge too much information at the moment, but we would need a man and a woman to go undercover as husband and wife. It-"

She cut him off. "I'll do it. Me and Han will, I mean."

He smiled. "That's very kind, princess, but I didn't come here intending for you to take the job. I think that all you have both done for us in the past is quite enough. I merely wanted your opinion."

Leia smiled at him. "I know that, General. But who better to go undercover as husband and wife than an actual married couple? I think we'd play the parts fairly well, don't you?"

Riekken laughed. "I agree, but the two of you are quite famous and I'm not sure it would be in our best interest, or yours, to take such a risk."

"There are ways to work around that. Undercover means altering our appearances. I'm sure it would be no trouble. Besides, if there is something going on, I'd rather actively be a part of the quashing of it."

"If anything goes wrong, it can become very dangerous. The situation, which would be explained to you in more detail before the trip, it's not an easy one."

Leia laughed. "When has anything me or Han have done been easy?"

He frowned. "That's why I'd prefer it if you didn't take the mission."

"I just- It's just that, I think that there's going to come a time very soon when I won't be available to take missions like this, or be as involved in the Alliance as I am now, and so right now, I think Han and I could give it one last hurrah. Besides, he might not do things exactly kosher, but when has Han ever failed?"

"Or you for that matter. Alright, if you feel like you're truly up for this, then I guess there's no way of arguing against it. Come to my office tomorrow and we can brief you and Han."

Leia looked surprised. "Tomorrow? When does the mission begin?"

"I'm afraid that if we want to put a stopper to what's been going on, it's going to have to be soon. We were thinking the next few weeks."

Leia sighed and placed her hand over her stomach. "Alright, that's fine. We'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"No."<p>

"Han! Be reasonable!"

He gave her a look. "I am being reasonable, sweetheart, you're the one with this ridiculous idea!"

"Since when is helping the Alliance so unreasonable?"

"Since you put us on this apparently dangerous mission while you're pregnant!"

Leia rolled her eyes. "I thought you said just yesterday that you would do anything for the Alliance so long as you didn't have to talk about it. Hm?"

"I said _I_ would do anything, not you. I'll go but you can't. That's it."

"Oh really, Han? So who's going to be your wife? You better not say that blonde pilot!"

"For the love of-First of all, I told you that I didn't find her attractive, even if the rest of the guys do, and secondly, if you have such a problem with just me going, then how about neither of us go!"

Han and Leia had been arguing for the past few minutes after she told him about the mission. She was surprised by his adamant refusal.

"Han, I get that it's going to be dangerous, but we're going to be together. And besides, this is sort of the last time we can really afford to do something like this. I just feel as though, if we're planning on leaving after I have the baby, then I should do just one last thing."

He frowned at her. "Does it have to be this?"

"Yes. We're running out of time. And who knows, it might be fun. Like a little vacation."

"Yeah with people possibly shooting at us."

"If you don't agree to this, Han, then I'll just have to get someone else to pose as my husband. How do you think Wedge would fare on this trip? He's always been handsome."

"Alright, alright. Cut that out. You know I know that you don't think Wedge is all that handsome. At least not by your obviously high standards." He pointed to himself and Leia rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Fine. We'll do this, but this is it. Nothing more after. I would like to live a quiet life at some point, thanks very much."

She smiled wider and kissed him. "Thank you."

Realizing again how hungry she was, Leia tore open the bag of food Han had brought with him, and started eating. Han sat noisily down across from her, sighing in apparent frustration.

She spoke to him with a mouth full of food. "What's the issue now?"

"Well, it's just that, if Riekken knew you were pregnant, he'd never allow you to do this. Maybe it's time we told him…"

Her eyes narrowed into a glare. "Han Solo, don't you dare! You agreed to this."

"Just cus I agreed to do this, doesn't mean I'm gonna like it. Just think. I actually saw myself sitting in the cockpit of the Falcon with a grandkid in each of our laps. With nothing to do but stare out into the sky, floating across the galaxy."

Leia smirked. "Oh shut up. Stop being so dramatic."


	3. Chapter 3

Han was in a horrible mood.

He hadn't slept all of the night before, worried about the mission that he had no idea what was in store for him and Leia. That morning, he was woken up to the sounds of Leia retching in the 'fresher, and he felt hopeless that all he could do was rub her back to try to soothe her. He spent the rest of the morning working on the Falcon that had somehow accumulated another broken part from the last time he had worked on it. He was starving because he had somehow forgotten to eat breakfast while he was lecturing Leia on trying to get something down, and he had to work all through lunch in order to fix his ship and make it to the meeting on time. And he did not want to miss this meeting after what had happened a few days before. By the time he got to Leia's office and found her finishing up paperwork, Han threw himself down onto the chair and sighed loudly, annoyed that he wasn't going to have her full attention.

After a moment, Leia looked up from her work. "What's wrong with you today?"

He sighed again. "Oh, nothing. Don't let me distract you."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't play games, Han. I know that tone. What's wrong?"

Now he was annoyed that she was speaking to him in such a condescending way. He cleared his throat and sat up.

"Nothing. Do we have time for lunch?"

She quirked her eyebrow at him, but answered his question. "I already ate actually. There was some luncheon I had to go to. You can probably run and grab something now if you want. We have a few minutes."

"Yeah, I don't think so. I'm not messing with you and your meetings anymore."

Leia had looked back down at her papers, but looked up again after he spoke. "I already apologized for that. What's really the issue?"

He shrugged. "No issue."

"Alright if you insist-"

He interrupted her. "I'm just having a bad day is all. You're not the only one with those."

She dropped her pen. "Han! Seriously, what is your problem? If you just came here to start a fight I-"

There was a knock at the door. "Princess? General Solo? If you're ready we can head over to the meeting."

Leia looked at Han. "That's Rieekan. We can finish this discussion later."

"Yeah yeah. Let's go." He turned from her to walk to the door.

"Han."

Han stopped and turned only slightly back towards her. "What?"

"I-" She paused. "Nothing. Let's just go."

* * *

><p>The three of them walked in silence. Rieekan could tell that something was wrong, but wasn't fazed by it. It wasn't uncommon for the two of them to not speak to one another for a few hours. A small smirk fell on his lips. They might fight a lot, but the two of them were very much in love. And for that, he was grateful. The world needed a little more love like theirs. He was shaken from his thoughts when Leia spoke to him.<p>

"Carlist?"

"Hm? Uh, yes?"

"Where are we going exactly?"

He realized that the two of them had somehow fallen ahead of him without knowing where they were headed.

"Oh right. Mon Mothma's office. It's only going to be a few of us in this meeting. Better to keep things a bit quiet around here."

Leia looked thoughtful, while Han groaned.

He whispered to her in a gruff voice. "Just great, princess. What exactly did you get us involved in here?"

She shushed him.

"I'm sure it's nothing extreme. Just relax." She looked at him. "Is this what's been bothering you? The mission?"

Han didn't answer, he just kept walking.

Leia sighed quietly in frustration. It wasn't often that Han acted like this anymore, when he shut her out. That is why it was even more disconcerting. He only ever got like this when something was really bothering him and he didn't want to talk about it. She tried not to push him, but with the mission coming up, she needed them both to be focused on it. While Rieekan walked a little bit ahead of them, Leia stopped and grabbed Han's hand.

"Carlist, we'll only be a few seconds behind you. I have to speak with Han for a moment."

The general nodded and smiling to himself, continued walking.

"Leia, can we please just keep going. I want to get this over with."

She shook her head. "Not until you tell me what's going on."

"I told you I'm-"

"You are not fine. Please, I can tell when something is bothering you and I want to know what it is. Is it the mission?"

She stared at him, waiting expectantly.

Han looked around the hallway, making sure no one was near. He spoke, "You want to know what's wrong?"

Leia nodded.

"Fine." He paused to take a deep breath before continuing. "I'm tired because I couldn't sleep last night thinking about this mission and how we know nothing about it. Isn't that a little weird to you?"

Leia went to respond, but he kept speaking.

"And this morning, I roll over to find you missing, only to hear you throwing up in the 'fresher, like you have every day this week and last."

"Han-"

He continued. "Now, see, I get that that's a normal stage of pregnancy. But you know what's not normal? Going on some secret, dangerous undercover mission to some unknown world while pregnant. You're a strong woman, Leia. Stronger than anyone I've ever met before. And I'm pretty good at this fighting thing too, but at some point, I want to know, when do we get a break? The big battle's done- we won. We did a lot of the fighting and sacrificing and worrying and not thinking about our future because we didn't know if we even had futures. But, I think it's time we let someone else do something so that we can focus on what's next without having a death mark over our heads."

Han paused, but Leia waited for him to finish.

"And, my krethin' ship is broken again. And as much as I love her, with everything else going on it's just been one thing too many. How's that?"

He stood there seething and Leia remained quiet. She took his hand and rubbed it gently with her thumb.

She spoke softly. "Han, I know that you're nervous, and I think it's very sweet. I'm nervous too, but that's never stopped us from doing these things before."

He tried to interrupt, but she put her hand up to stop him.

"This is it. I promise. No more after this one last mission. We'll go, do what has to be done, then come back, pack up all of our things, and fly around the galaxy until we find the perfect place for us and for our family. I just feel like, if we're going to leave, I want to do something meaningful. It's been a part of my life for so long, and it's given me just as much as I've given it. Can you understand that?"

Han looked down, but then nodded.

"And I'm sorry about your ship. But I won't dare say anything bad about it because I don't want to get kicked off it again."

She smiled at him, but he remained looking down.

"We have a future, Han."

He sighed. "I know that, sweetheart. But it's right there. I can see it, but I can't get to it."

She pulled him closer to her. "Don't you think a little undercover work might be a little fun?"

Han looked up, surprised by her suggestive tone. He grinned. "I suppose that part won't be so bad."

"Mmhmm. And from what I hear, we're going to be playing husband and wife."

He rolled his eyes. "We are husband and wife."

She laughed. "I know that. But this is different. We have to come up with different identities."

"I suppose it could be fun-"

"You suppose? Han, I feel like this is going to be like a vacation for us. No paperwork!"

Han's grin widened. "I like the no paperwork."

He kissed her. She deepened it and wrapped her arms around his neck until she seemed to realize where they were, and she pulled away from him and straightened herself out.

"How about we get this meeting over with and then we can go home?"

She started to walk, but stopped when she realized he wasn't following.

Han reached down and placed a hand on her stomach. "What about the baby?"

Leia placed her hand over his and thought for a moment.

"Han, if I didn't have a good feeling about this mission, if I didn't know that everything would work out in the end, and that all three of us would come home safely, I wouldn't be agreeing to this. But I think we'll be done and back before I even begin to show. If it would make you feel better, we can comm Luke and ask what he's feeling?"

Han grumbled. "Nah, I trust you."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Good. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Mon Mothma looked at Han and Leia sitting in front of her as she spoke to them. She looked grave.<p>

"Are the two of you sure you're up for this?"

Leia looked at Han and only nodded when he did.

"Alright. It's only going to be the two of you, with others ready as back up here if it is absolutely necessary. We need to try and remain as inconspicuous as possible before, during, and after this mission. The least amount of people who know that the two of you were even there, the better."

Han interrupted. "Where is 'there' exactly?"

Mon nodded. "You're going to a small planet called 'Pizluine.' It only has a few inhabitants, but we've learned that they have an extremely popular underground business that has been attracting Imperial attention. Unfortunately, no one has been able to get close enough to see what exactly the business is. Fortunately, Pizluine is also a popular spot for young lovers on their honeymoon because of its few, but beautiful and private beaches. I am only slightly hesitant to send you. While you are certainly the most qualified, you are also two of the most famous people throughout the galaxy, but I think that the planet is small enough, and far enough away, to not be able recognize you. They may have heard of you, and the Imperials certainly have, if they are in fact there, which is why you will be going undercover."

Leia looked thoughtful. "This all seems very clear cut. Why is it so dangerous?"

Mon sighed. "Outsiders, especially tourists, are very welcome because it is helpful to their economy. However, the locals are very cautious of those who seem a little too interested in the happenings of their planet. And since they are so small, they often fall under the Republic's radar, I hadn't even heard of the planet before now, and they get away with a slightly corrupt government. The more I've learned about the planet, the more mysterious deaths and missing people appear. I think the planet has potential, but has been plagued with the wrong leadership."

Han laughed. "Nothing new there. This doesn't sound so bad."

Mon eyed him. "Yes, but you must act as a tourist and be able to look around, without acting suspicious. I am weary particularly of your, shall we say, 'stealthness,' General Solo?"

Leia snorted into her hand and Han looked offended.

"I am stealth!"

"Whatever you say, General. I certainly hope you prove me wrong."

Han looked like he wanted to protest more, so Leia stepped in quickly.

"When do you want us to leave?"

"As soon as possible. We want this done quickly, quietly, and efficiently."

"So-?"

"In two days, so that we can prepare everything you need."

Leia nodded. Han looked indignant. "Two days!"

Leia shushed him. "It will be fine, Han. The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be back."

Rieekan spoke up. "It is my opinion that everything should be fine. We don't even know if there is Imperial business going on, but the signs are ominous. With the suspicion and odd behavior of the locals, I can't say I'm not apprehensive. Just, please, be careful and don't rush. We want this done quickly, but correctly. If they seem to catch on to your interest, pull back a little. Act like you usually do when you think no one's looking."

Leia blushed. Han smirked, looking a little proud of himself.

Han spoke. "Everything better be paid for on this 'honeymoon.'"

* * *

><p>"Pizluine" is just a planet I made up. I haven't read much of the EU, so I wouldn't know a lot about the other planets. I thought it might be fun to create something myself. :)<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

The past two days had gone by in a blur, but now Han and Leia found themselves sitting in the cockpit of a ship, heading towards Pizluine. With the Falcon being the well-known ship of Captain Han Solo and since they were in disguise, they had to take a different ship. They were in hyperspace, Han in the pilot's chair thinking, while Leia rested next to him. He was concerned by how many naps she seemed to be taking these days, but knew better than to push it.

He was watching her carefully. Her eyes shut lightly, breaths long and deep. Han sat transfixed, trying not to worry so much about the mission, but he couldn't shake a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach.

The planet was a long way's off and it would take a few days time to get there, and the added travel time was adding to his nerves. He just wanted to get there, get it over with, and fly home. He also wished that Chewie and Luke could have come with them, the group always figured out things well together, but it wouldn't make sense for a furry sidekick and twin brother to join them on their "honeymoon."

Han heaved a sigh of frustration, then checking to make sure everything was in order, gently picked up Leia and carried her into the cabin.

She didn't make a sound until he placed her down onto the bed.

She mumbled, "Hmm?" Slowly, she sat up. "No, I'm fine. I don't need to sleep right now."

Han smiled and sat down next to her.

"It's alright if you're tired, sweetheart. It's not like we have much else to do right now anyhow."

"Are you sure there's not a part of this ship you want to tinker with or something."

"Actually, Chewie and I already did a very thorough run-through of the ship before leaving and everything was in working order."

He seemed disappointed and Leia laughed.

She lifted herself to lean up against a pillow and settled comfortably into the bed.

"There's a first time for everything I suppose. What are you going to do while I nap?"

"I thought you weren't going to nap."

She felt her eyes begin to droop and struggled to keep them open.

"Well, if there's nothing to do…"

He leaned over and kissed the top of her head.

"Alright, you rest and I'll see what I can cook up for dinner."

Leia accepted his kiss before rolling over to her side. Smiling contentedly, she mumbled a thank you and settled into sleep.

Han got to work in the kitchen. Even though Leia had not yet begun having cravings for various foods, he had thought ahead to stock the ship with her favorites, not knowing at what point it would begin. He didn't feel much like being stuck in the middle-of-nowhere with a hormone-raging princess demanding something he couldn't give her.

After awhile, he stood over the table, examining his creation. It wasn't a particularly complicated dish, but he was proud of it nonetheless. He turned around to find Leia standing in the doorway. She stretched and let out a yawn.

Han spoke. "Perfect timing. I was just coming to get you. Hungry?"

"Starved." She walked over to the table and sat down. "Oh, I love this soup!"

"I know." He grinned at her. "How're you feelin'?"

She eyed him suspiciously. "I feel fine. I just wanted to close my eyes for a bit."

"Sure sure." He picked up his own spoon and started eating.

"I'm pregnant, Han, not ill."

He sighed. "I know that, sweetheart. I'm just making sure everything's going alright."

"I promise I'll tell you if it's not. Now stop worrying because we're stuck here together for a few days and I'm starting to get annoyed."

Her tone was teasing, but Han trusted there was some seriousness to it as well.

They ate in silence for a few moments, enjoying the quiet time. When they had both finished, Leia spoke.

"Did you get a chance to look at those holos I gave you of Pizluine? It really is a beautiful planet."

Han avoided her eye contact. "Oh right. Uh. Well. I've been busy these past few days, but I'll get to it."

Her eyes narrowed. "Han! Part of giving you those holos was so that you could learn the land before we got there! We need to be properly prepared."

"I have plenty of time to look at them later. I was too busy making sure the ship was in order. Besides, I'm sure you've figured it out enough for the both of us."

"Yes, but you're much better at figuring out the shortcut routes. I don't know how you do it, but I always aim for the direct route. It would be very helpful if you could actively participate in the planning as well, so we can know all we can."

"Don't worry about that. Those things come to me once I'm there. I don't need to plan."

She rolled her eyes and took the dishes to the sink.

"Well, I'd still appreciate it if you could at least glance at those holos. Why don't you go do that while I take a quick 'fresher."

Han wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "I think I'd rather join you in the 'fresher actually."

He stood up and opened his arms to her. Leia pretended to think things over, but then smiled and stepped into his embrace.

"I suppose you could always look at the holos tomorrow."

He responded with a kiss. Sweet and slow, he pressed his lips to hers. She deepened it by standing on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around his neck. Lifting her up, he carried her into the cabin, never breaking the kiss.

Han quickly rid them both of their clothes and turned the water on. When he felt as though the temperature was acceptable, he pulled Leia into the 'fresher. She laughed at his enthusiasm, but then turned serious when she saw the strength of desire in his eyes. She kissed him again, deeper this time, teasing his mouth with her tongue.

He pressed her against the wall of the 'fresher and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Their breathing was ragged, their moans desperate.

After, they stood still wrapped around each other under the shower, enjoying the beat of the water against them.

He pressed his forehead against hers and spoke.

"See, much better than any dumb holo plans."

Leia smiled. "Yes, but you still have to do that later."

* * *

><p>The next day passed fairly quickly, with nothing much to do but enjoy the downtime and make tentative plans for the mission. Much to Leia's chagrin, there wasn't much they could plan considering that they didn't even know what to expect. Han pointed out that all they could really do was practice acting like a couple on their honeymoon, and they spent quite a bit of time around the ship doing just that.<p>

By the time they laid down in bed that night, they were both exhausted.

Leia laid with her head against Han's chest, her hand playing with the soft curls of hair. His hand was rubbing circles around her bare back as they waited for sleep to take them.

Leia's voice came out as a whisper. "What time do you think we'll be there tomorrow?"

Han didn't answer immediately so she thought he was sleeping, but when she lifted her head, she saw his eyes were still open.

"Han?" She nudged him slightly.

He looked at her then, apparently shaken from thought.

"Hm?"

"Where are you? I asked what time we would be there tomorrow."

"I don't know, just thinking. We should be there by mid-afternoon. Plenty of time to hit those beaches."

He smiled at her, but she continued to look at him with a slight frown on her face.

"You're still worried."

"I will always worry about you and that child," he pointed to her stomach, "so get used to it. But it's not that."

She nudged her way up so that she could place a kiss on his lips.

"Then what is it?"

"I don't know. I guess I just don't like knowing exactly what it is we're up against. And the fact that it's just the two of us worries me too."

"At a moment's notice, the Alliance will be there with back-up."

"Yeah, but it'll take them a few days to get to us first."

"Han, Luke will sense if something's wrong and come get us."

Han seemed to be staring out into space, so Leia gently touched his cheek and moved his head to look at her.

"Han?"

He kissed her. "You're right. Now, I'm exhausted. Ready for bed?"

She looked like she wanted to continue the conversation, but nodded anyways and laid her head back down on his chest.

* * *

><p>"Oh my gods, it's beautiful!"<p>

Leia walked down the ramp and out into the sunshine.

"Han! You have to come see this!"

She heard her husband grumbling at the top of the ramp.

"Oh! I'm sorry, do you want some help with that?"

Just as she said it, all the bags Han had been carrying tumbled down the ramp and laid in a heap beside her. Han followed, leaving a slew of Corellian swears behind him.

Leia tried to stifle a laugh, but Han caught it and glared at her.

"I try to do a noble thing for you and you laugh at me?"

Leia was still struggling to keep her composure.

"I could have helped."

"Yeah, sure, but someone seemed mighty interested in getting out of that ship as soon as possible."

"I was curious that's all. I wasn't trying to skive off helping you. Did you lock up the ship?"

"Yes, I just need to put the ramp up."

"Did you make a code that you can remember?"

He glanced at her.

"Yes."

"Are you sure, Han?"

He answered annoyed. "Yes."

She watched as he closed the ramp and struggled to pick up the bags. She picked up as much as she could handle, but he was still left with a considerable amount. Knowing that the majority of bags were her things, she felt a bit guilty.

The walk to the resort they were staying at was short. They had picked it because of how close it was to the tarmac, so that if need be, they could make a quick escape.

When they got to the resort, Han was still grumbling about the bags, so Leia handled the check-in. Now finally inside their room, Han dropped the bags unceremoniously onto the floor and threw himself down onto the bed.

Leia giggled. "Was that too much exertion for you, hunny? I'm sorry."

He lifted his head slightly off the bed to look at her. "I thought we agreed to pack lightly. Only what we need."

"This is what I need."

"I just brought a few pairs of pants, shirts, and my blaster."

"Which is exactly why I had to pack some nicer things for you along with all of my things. We're supposed to be on our honeymoon, so we have to actually do nice things."

Han laughed. "I'm starting to think you planned all of this just so I could take you on a vacation. You didn't have to go to such extreme measures though, all you'd have to do is ask."

She laid down next to him and swatted his arm.

"I wish it was purely a vacation, but just because it's not, doesn't mean we can't enjoy our time here. Especially in the preliminary stages of the mission. What do you think of the place? Isn't it wonderful?"

She had a far-off, dreamy look in her eye and Han couldn't help but kiss her. She kissed him back, but then pulled him off the bed.

"Nuh-uh. Not yet, flyboy. I want to see some of the planet before night-time and I don't need you distracting me." She pointed to one of her suitcases. "Here, I packed a few casual things for you to wear. You know, something someone would actually wear on a vacation. We need to change so we can leave."

When he pulled out a more vibrant blue shirt than he would ever think to wear himself, Han couldn't hide his disdain.

"Really?"

Leia looked between him and the shirt. "What?"

"It's a bit…cheerful…"

"We're on a 'vacation' on the beach, Han. You're supposed to be 'cheerful.'"

He pulled out the khaki shorts she had brought for him and grumbled again.

"I'm going to look ridiculous."

"You're going to look normal and fit in. That's what's important!"

"Fine." They both started to undress and change into the new attire. He looked up at her. "What're our names again?"

She sighed.

"We can keep our first names. We just had to change our last name, remember?"

Han was now looking at himself in the mirror in disgust.

"Yeah, uh, right. It was-"

Leia interrupted him. "Baccas. We're the Baccas. Remember? You chose it in honor of Chewie. I thought it was stupid, but you insisted."

She saw him smile through the mirror. "That's right. Han and Leia Bacca." He turned around. "I think it's pretty clever, sweetheart."

She tried to look annoyed, but the cocky smile he gave her wiped it away.

"I think you look very handsome."

His grin faded and he looked down at himself.

"I look like a fool." He looked her up and down. "But at least I have a gorgeous wife on my arm."

He pulled her to him and kissed her. He tried to deepen it, but she pushed him away.

"What did I tell you about distractions, Mr. Bacca?"

Han wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"When you say it like that it sounds wrong." He groaned. "Alright, let's go see what we're in store for. Shall we?"

They left their room hand-in-hand to explore the planet.


	5. Chapter 5

Once out on the main street, Leia became quickly distracted by the amount of "quaint" shops on the street, and asked Han if they could stop in one just to look around. One had quickly turned into a few, which ended up being the entire strip. Two hours later, Han had had enough. While Leia stood gushing over another useless item with the over-enthusiastic shop-clerk, Han stood behind them, sighing and impatiently tapping his foot.

He cleared his throat. "Leia?"

The two women continued their discussion.

"Leia!"

She brushed him away with a quick wave behind her, apparently telling him she'd only be a moment.

Han practically growled. "Excuse me, but whatever happened to exploring the planet?"

Leia smiled apologetically at the clerk before turning around to glare at him. She ushered him to the side so they could talk in private.

Her tone was hushed, but slightly harsh. "We are exploring, Han. It is very important for us to see all of these shops and meet with the workers. They're the ones who live here. Making personal connections are pertinent."

He rolled his eyes. "Are buying all these things important too or is that just the benefit of the job?"

Leia blushed slightly, but didn't back down. "We don't want to be seen as cheap do we?"

He went to respond, but she had already turned away from him and walked back towards the clerk. Rather than watch her buy another purchase, he stepped out of the store and into the street.

Han had already been feeling anxious about the trip, but now his mood was sour. He didn't love shopping in the most normal of times, but he felt like he had to be on watch and was tense. Looking around him, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. People, tourists most likely, were milling the streets casually, making their way to dinner.

He looked out towards the beach and sighed at seeing the sky darkening. He had wanted to at least do something fun that day, but now it seemed as though his chances were waning. Han was shook out of his thoughts when Leia opened the door of the shop and stepped out.

Her demeanor had calmed and she seemed hesitant to speak with him. He didn't turn around when she spoke his name quietly behind him.

"Han?"

He continued to look out at the beach until he heard her sigh and touched her hand to his shoulder.

"Han, I'm sorry. I think I may have been a little overzealous with the shopping. I got excited."

He turned towards her. "A little? A little overboard? Leia, I think you bought the stores out of business for kreth's sake. I'm just glad this was all on your bill."

"Alright, alright. Relax. We can do what you want now. Are you hungry? Do you want to go to dinner?"

Han looked up and down the street and shrugged noncommittally. "Everywhere looks crowded right now. I don't feel much like waiting anymore."

Leia sighed in frustration.

"Ok. Dinner can wait. What do you want to do?"

He didn't respond.

"Han, please?"

He looked down at her again and felt his anger dissipating. She looked tired and innocent, and even though he knew it was one of her perfected acts to get him to do what she wanted, he fell for it.

"Fine." He looked around again. "Do you want to go for a walk on the beach?"

Happy that he was no longer so disgruntled, Leia smiled and took his hand, leading them towards the beach.

Reaching the edge of the water, they both took off their shoes. Han stepped into the ocean, letting the water wash over his toes, but Leia stood back.

Feeling rejuvenated by the cold water, Han found himself in a much better mood. He turned back towards Leia and grinned.

"Aren't you going to come in? It feels great!"

Leia hesitated. She was already feeling chilly, but she didn't want to disrupt the change in his mood. Slowly, she placed her bags gently onto the sand and stepped towards him. She recoiled slightly when first touching the water, but he didn't notice.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. Leia smiled up at him and tried not to think about her numbing feet.

Han smiled contentedly. "It is pretty beautiful here."

She laughed. "I told you so. You were just too grumpy to notice before."

He frowned slightly. "Yeah, well-" His words trailed off and he shrugged his shoulders.

Leia wrapped her arms around his torso and squeezed him tightly. He bent down and kissed the top of her head.

She looked up at him and smiled. "When this is all said and done maybe we can try to settle down by the ocean."

"That would be nice."

Leia sighed. "You've been so serious lately. I know we're on a mission, but right now nothing's going on. Why can't we just enjoy it?" She watched him for a moment before pressing on. "We're supposed to be on our honeymoon, remember?"

Han smiled at her. "You're right. How's this then?"

She looked confused for a moment but then she was in his arms and he was kissing her, deeply and passionately. She threw her arms around his neck, moaning quietly. When he broke the kiss, they were both breathless.

Leia's eyes were glazed with desire. "I would say that's more like it."

He grinned. "We could go back to the resort and continue our act."

"Or we could stay here for awhile and enjoy the fresh air. Don't you think it would be nice to see the sun set?"

He looked disappointed, but then she took his hand and pulled him towards the dry sand. He laid out onto the sand and she followed, laying slightly on top of him. Leia smiled before pulling him towards her and capturing his lips in another kiss. They stayed in each other's arms until minutes later, breaking apart to realize they had missed the sunset and it was now dark.

Han laughed. "Great idea, sweetheart."

He kissed her quickly again before pulling himself up and giving her a hand. They shook the sand off of themselves and walked back towards the boardwalk hand in hand.

"You know, sweetheart, as much as I would like to get you back to the resort and just have room service, I'm feeling gentlemanly enough to take you out somewhere nice. How about we head back and change and then we can go back out?"

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

><p>Han stood in front of the suitcases once back in the room.<p>

"You know, I really dread to see what else you have in store for me. Should I be afraid?"

Leia laughed. "I suppose you could get away with your regular pants and maybe a nice shirt."

She watched as he dug through one of the bags and pulled out a pair of his pants and a black shirt, nicer than his usual attire. Leia stood grinning as he began changing in front of her, not even bothering to look away.

He looked up at her, and catching her watching him, grinned. "Enjoying the view?"

She blushed slightly and his grin widened.

"I'm allowed to watch you. I'm your wife."

"Yeah, but you're doing it so unabashedly."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't strain your mind coming up with those big words, hot shot. If you have such a problem with me watching you, then maybe I'll just go out onto the balcony for a better view."

Leia stalked off, only half mad, and went onto their balcony.

It was dark, but the lights of the resort illuminated the sky, and Leia felt her breath hitch in her throat. Coruscant was pleasant enough, but the busy city didn't allow for open skies and star gazing. She was lost in thought when she heard Han come up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she leaned into him. Leia turned her head slightly so he could bend down and kiss her.

They stood looking out into the night.

When Han spoke, his voice was a whisper. "How about you go get changed and we can head to dinner. I'm starving."

He took her hand and pulled her gently back into the room. Leia reached into the bag and pulled out something that looked shimmery, but then she walked quickly towards the 'fresher.

Han, who had been looking forward to watching her undress, muttered his protests.

Leia smiled deviously. "If I'm not allowed to watch you, you can't watch me." She stepped into the 'fresher and pulled the door shut behind her. Han groaned and turned his attention to the vast hotel room, trying to distract himself from the opportunity he had just lost.

The bedroom was huge, even larger than the modest bedroom they shared in their apartment back home. The bed was almost equally as large, taking up the majority of the space in the bedroom, and Han grinned, thinking of what he was going to do to Leia on there when they got back from dinner.

He shook his head and continued appraising the room. The walls were a light blue, leading to a simple white ceiling. The only other furniture in the bedroom was a small table next to the bed, supporting a lamp, and a chair that sat next to the window.

Han moved his way through the luggage into the next room, a living room of sorts, whose walls were a light green. Here, there were a table and chairs, a sofa aimed at the TV, and a few scattered chairs.

He chose the one closest to him to sit down in, knowing it could be awhile for Leia to get ready.

Han was dozing off when she finally emerged from the 'fresher. She cleared her throat to acknowledge her presence. Han opened his eyes one at a time before jumping up.

"I wasn't sleeping. I was just resting my eyes."

Leia nodded knowingly, but before Han could respond, he took a long look at her.

"Wow, sweetheart. Is that new?"

She was wearing a shimmering black dress that cut off right above her knees. Leia smiled.

"Yes, in fact, I just bought this today. Worth all your time spent in those shops?"

Han was distracted staring at the ample amount of cleavage she was showing, and Leia laughed, her point proven. She went back into the bedroom to grab her shoes, before taking his hand and leading them out the door.

Han chose a small, but fancy-looking restaurant. Leia raised her eyebrows when she looked at the prices on the menu, unusually higher than what Han usually liked, but he just smiled.

He whispered, "We're on the Alliance's bill, sweetheart."

Her eyes narrowed and she scolded him. "Han, you shouldn't take advantage like that."

"Would you like to leave and go somewhere else then?"

She answered quietly. "No."

"Alright then. Just enjoy."

Han tried to ignore Leia's look of disapproval when he ordered a whiskey, but then remembered she couldn't drink because she was pregnant, and ordered sparkling water. When the waiter returned with the bottle and poured them each a glass, Han toasted her, and grinned when her face flushed, happy that he still had such an effect on her.

They talked good-naturedly about various things throughout dinner, enjoying spending such casual time together. They were, however, careful not to bring up things that would be too telling of who they really were.

When the bill came, Han happily handed over the credits, happy not to even have to look at how much it was, took Leia's hand, and led them back out of the restaurant.

Han went to hail a hovercab, but Leia stopped him. "It's such a nice night out, I think it would be nice to walk back. The resort's not far."

Han nodded in agreement and gave her his arm. They walked in silence, observing their surroundings and looking out for anything unusual. Leia had almost forgotten why they were there in the first place, but there didn't seem to be anything going on anyways. She leaned her head against Han as he walked with his arm around her shoulder.

He teased, "You better not be falling asleep on me, sweetheart. We still have a busy night ahead of us."

"Is that so? I can't help it if I fall asleep when you put me to bed."

He frowned in thought. "Then I guess we can't go to bed just yet."

She eyed him suspiciously. "And where do you suggest we go?"

"How about for a swim? I think the pool's still open and I'm sure it's heated."

Leia looked as though she was about to protest, but he continued.

"Besides, after all that shopping today, I think it would be really relaxing."

He had won and they both knew it. Leia was still embarrassed by her enthusiastic shopping spree and she had been the one to tell him to relax. They stopped back into their room, only to quickly change into their bathing suits. She had hoped to distract him by changing into her suit in front of him, but Han practically dragged her down to the pool.

Han jumped in immediately, but Leia stood at the edge, shivering from the cold. She was enjoying watching as the water rippled over Han's back muscles as he swam laps. He stopped and swam up to her.

"It's much nicer inside the water, sweetheart." He grinned. "I'll keep you warm."

Leia looked around the pool. No one else was in the long, circular pool, and only a few people lingered in the hot tub adjacent to it. The lighting was scarce and Leia had to squint when she looked down at him.

"I don't know, Han-"

"If you don't come in on your own, I'll have no choice but to push you in."

She eyed him challengingly. "You wouldn't dare." But then she realized who she was talking to and quickly moved to the ladder to go in on her own.

Han was waiting for her at the other end while she waded over to him. Her teeth were chattering, so he pulled her close.

"How are you cold? It's like bath water in here."

"It's better in here than out, but I'm still freezing. Don't judge me, I'm pregnant with your child."

He laughed. "You seem to use that excuse when it's convenient for you, but when I bring it up, you shrug it off."

Leia ignored him and leaned in closer to him.

"What do you want to do tomorrow?"

Leia removed her head from his shoulder to look at him. She gave him a quick kiss before answering.

"Maybe we could head into town after breakfast?"

He looked at her accusingly.

"No shopping, I promise. I just want to walk around. Examine our surroundings more."

He nodded. "Alright, sounds like a plan." He felt her shiver against him.

He spoke again in a whisper, just below her earlobe. She shivered in an entirely different way.

"How about right now we go back inside? I know just the plan to get you warmed up."


	6. Chapter 6

Leia awoke with a start. She was shivering and sweating all at once, and she could not remember her dream for the life of her. All that she knew was that it had felt very real, and it was very bad. She'd had dreams like that in the past, mostly before what happened to Alderaan, or before Han had been put in the carbonite.

She didn't like those odds.

Looking out the window, she saw that it was still dark. She crept out of bed, careful not to wake her snoring husband, and went to stand on the balcony. Her thoughts were conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted to remember, to know what it was that had so clearly bothered her. But then she was afraid of what the dream might be trying to tell her, or warn her.

Luke had told her, shortly after Endor when she had finally decided to ask him more about the force, that she may possess a power to tell the future through dreams. This revelation had startled her at first, but when she thought about it, it wasn't that surprising at all.

She let out a sigh into the slightly chilled air and mentally kicked herself for not putting her robe on first. But at the moment, her legs would not will her to move.

Suddenly a surge of fear shot through her body and Leia's hands went immediately to her abdomen. Through the force, she felt for her child's presence, and relaxed when she could feel the warm, soft glow telling her that everything was alright.

Even though everything felt fine at the moment, she felt a distant pang, slowly building in her mind. From the very beginning of the mission she had felt confident, even somewhat excited, but now all she felt consumed by was dread.

She stood outside on the balcony for awhile longer, enjoying the fresh air and the spectacular view, but soon she could no longer stand the cold and she made her way inside.

Leia stood by her side of the bed, weighing her options. She wanted to tell Han what had happened, but then again she wasn't even sure what it was. And he was already so worried about her and the mission, that she felt that adding to this anxiety would be futile.

Laying back down, she crawled closer to Han and lay her head against his chest. Sensing her, but still asleep, he wrapped his arms around her. She reached up and swiped the hair out of his eyes, soothed by his sleeping, calm demeanor. She was slightly hesitant to close her eyes, afraid of what other dreams might be awaiting her, but soon she fell back to sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Leia opened her eyes to see the sun streaming in through the hotel room window and Han sitting up in bed reading a newsholo. He grinned at her when she moved to sit up slightly.<p>

"Mornin' sweetheart."

She grumbled something at him incoherently.

He looked confused for a moment, but then realization hit him and he smiled. "Hungry."

All Leia could do was put her hand to her stomach and nod.

Han laughed. "Good because I already ordered it. It shouldn't be long now."

Leia returned the smile and sat up against the headrest. She leaned over and kissed him.

"Thank you."

Han looked mighty proud of himself and Leia couldn't help but laugh. She took the datapad from his hands. "Anything good I should know about back home?"

"Nope, nothing.'"

She started to flip through various documents. "Well that's a good thing, I suppose. They're not missing us too much."

"Yeah and they better get used to it."

He got up from the bed and made his way into the 'fresher, while Leia continued her reading. A few minutes later there was a knock at the door.

She looked up and called to her husband. "Han! I think the food's here."

The door of the 'fresher switched open. Han stepped out with a toothbrush in his hand and toothpaste covering his mouth.

When he spoke, a little bit spewed from his mouth and dribbled down his front.

Leia grimaced in disgust.

"I said the food's here. Someone knocked at the door. Can you grab it?"

She smiled at him in the sweetest way possible. He nodded his head, stepped briefly back into the 'fresher to spit out the toothpaste and went to open the hotel room's door.

Leia had turned her attention back to the datapad, but looked up and froze.

"Han!"

He had his hand on the doorknob, but he stopped and looked back at her before opening the door.

"What?"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" She smirked.

"Wha-? Oh!"

He walked quickly over to his suitcase and pulled on the first pair of pants he could find, and then opened the door. Han came back into the bedroom to find Leia still laughing.

He sat down on the bed and placed the food in front of her.

"What are you laughing at, sweetheart? The server was a woman. Kinda cute too. A young thing." He smirked.

Leia's smile immediately faded.

* * *

><p>After finishing breakfast and a shower that took a lot longer than it usually would when they were getting ready for the day, Han and Leia were dressed and walking along the streets of Pizluine. The streets were not as crowded this morning as most people were at the beach, and they found it was the perfect time to do some closer examining of the planet.<p>

Han was once again wearing beige shorts, but was able to find a simple black t-shirt for himself this day and Leia wore a light blue sundress. They walked hand-in-hand enjoying the sunny day.

"Huh."

Leia looked up at Han in confusion. "What?"

He smiled down at her. "Nothing, it's just that, it's nice."

She laughed. "What's nice exactly?"

"Being able to walk down the street without all of these people recognizing us. I feel almost normal."

Leia smiled and moved closer to him. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

They continued to make their way down the street, walking at a casual pace, but careful to pay close attention to their surroundings. Again, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but Leia supposed that if there was anything going on, it wouldn't be so blatant.

She was just about to ask Han if he wanted to try going somewhere else when something caught her eye. She stopped abruptly, causing Han to flinch from her sudden lack of movement.

"Wha-?"

She put her hand up to keep him from speaking. He looked around to see what she was staring at, but didn't see anything that would catch her attention. Following her line of sight, he found she was staring at two older men talking to one another. They didn't seem to be doing anything suspicious, but still Leia's eyes remained trained on them.

Han bent down to whisper in her ear. "Please don't tell me you find those guys attractive. I know you have a thing for slightly older men, but they are just ridiculous, sweetheart. Leia?"

When he touched his hand to her shoulder, Leia seemed to break out of some sort of trance. She finally looked back at him.

"They look so…familiar somehow, yet I don't think I've ever seen them before in my life. When-?"

Suddenly a piece of her dream from last night came to her. It was a brief shot, just one of the men smiling menacingly at her. But that was it. She strained her mind to try to come up with more of the dream, but all she could see was that man's face.

She looked back at him and shuddered. Just then, one of the men, the same one from the dream, turned and looked at her. When he saw her and Han staring at him, he smiled, not unlike in her dream, but with kinder eyes, and turned back to his friend.

Leia shivered again, but Han pulled her away. "C'mon, sweetheart. I'm sure he just has one of those faces, you know?"

She smiled to appease him, mostly because she wasn't yet ready to tell him about her dream.

"Are you sure you're alright, Leia? You look a little pale. Maybe we should stop in one of these shops and get a drink of water. Are you thirsty? Hungry? Sweetheart, look at me."

Leia had been lost in thought again, but she shook it off and smiled up at him. "No, not hungry. Water would be nice though, but let's walk farther down."

She wanted to get as far away from that man as possible. Leia took his hand again and led him down the street.

* * *

><p>They continued to walk the streets and try to get a lay of the land, and nothing else significant had happened. They had planned on walking the trail outside of the center of town after lunch, but Han wasn't sure Leia was up for it. She was still looking pale and acting slightly out of it, and he was concerned that it had something to do with her pregnancy. He hoped that after eating something, she would start to feel better, but nothing had changed.<p>

"Do you want to go back to the resort, Han?"

He had just finished paying the bill and they stood up from one of the outside cafes.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea."

She nodded. "Good. I think it will be nice to get away from the town for a bit."

"Yeah, uh, about that. Why don't we go back and rest for a little while. I'm dead tired."

She saw right through his charade. "You are not tired, you're just trying to get me back into bed."

Han laughed out loud. "While that is always true, I wasn't intending that exactly this time. I was thinking more along the lines of actually sleeping. You look…exhausted."

Leia was feeling a little tired from her disrupted sleep the night before, but that wasn't the reason she knew she wasn't looking like her normal self. It had more to do with the man and the reminder of her dream, but still she couldn't bring herself to tell Han about it yet. She wanted to remember more before she got him worried.

"We'll have plenty of time to rest later, but I want to hike before it starts to get dark."

"Why can't we just go tomorrow?"

Leia sighed in frustration. "Can you stop worrying so much? If I felt like I needed a nap, I would take one. But right now, I really just want to go for that hike. Please?"

Han couldn't resist her pleading eyes and reluctantly agreed. "Fine, but only for a little while today. We don't have to rush our-" He had to stop himself. "Our vacation. We don't have to do everything at once."

Leia laughed and pulled him by his hand back to the resort.

* * *

><p>Han was having difficulty trying to find a secure place to put his blaster. Leia hadn't let him bring it when they were walking around town, claiming that it would be too conspicuous and that there were too many people around to need to use it anyways.<p>

Now that they were heading away from civilization, he felt that his blaster was necessary. And secretly, he felt naked without it. He would find a way to hide it and just not tell his wife.

Leia called to him from outside the 'fresher. "Han, come on. What are you doing in there?"

"Uh, uh, just a minute, sweetheart!"

He looked himself up and down, desperate to find a location for his blaster.

She called to him again. "Han!"

"Hold on!"

Han could just put it in the backpack he was bringing with them on the hike, but he felt, that if he was going to need to use it, he wouldn't have a lot of time to rummage through a bag first. And Leia had put a lot of unnecessary crap in there. He huffed before deciding that his shirt was baggy enough that if he fit it underneath, tucked into his shorts, he should be able to get away with it.

Although his wife did have a very keen eye…

He stepped out of the 'fresher cautiously and offered her a smile. Leia eyed him suspiciously, but Han was relieved to see that she missed his new addition when she gave him a once over.

"What were you doing in there, Han?"

"Hm? Me? Nothin.' I just needed to fix…something."

He knew that wasn't going to cut it, so he grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door.

"No time for small talk, let's get hiking!"

Leia rolled her eyes, but followed him.

* * *

><p>They had been walking for an hour, enjoying the huge green trees and various flowers they had never seen the likes of before. Han, who had never been one to stop and ogle nature, was acting almost as enthusiastic as Leia. Although, she still seemed a bit off.<p>

Han kept stopping every few feet to examine each new plant life he had never seen before. Leia tried to be exasperated, but found she much enjoyed this side of her husband. She almost forgot about what had been plaguing her the entire day, but not quite.

"Han, come on. It's been an hour and we have barely gotten anywhere. It's not like we can stop and start up again where we left off. I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot of this stuff."

"Well this is quite the turn of events." He bent down and picked up a bright pink flower, and walked back over to her on the path. "Here, I picked you a flower."

She smiled at him in spite of herself, and offered him a kiss for her present.

Han deepened the kiss and pulled her by her waist, closer to him.

"Mmm, we really should have stayed back at the resort for awhile."

Leia laughed and pulled away from him. "Come on."

They continued to walk farther up the hill for awhile until Leia felt she had to rest. She was annoyed with herself as usually she had much more stamina. Han noticed her growing tired, and pulled her over to a small clearing.

"Why don't we rest for awhile?"

She was so tired, Leia didn't even bother to comment on his condescending ways. He sat down on the grass and she followed. She took a deep sip of her water before leaning up against him and closing her eyes.

Han didn't say anything as he sprawled out across the grass and gently laid Leia down on his chest. He could see how tired she was, and he wasn't opposed to resting himself. He would simply enjoy his surroundings while she slept for a bit. Although, it wasn't long before they were both sleeping.

Leia was having the strangest dream. She was there, she knew it, but she didn't know what 'there' was. She was surrounded only by darkness. She called out to Han, but all she could hear was her own voice echoing back at her. She reached around her, trying to see more of her surroundings, but she was afraid to move much, not knowing what was around. Suddenly, she felt arms around her. But they were not the comforting arms of her husband. She was being dragged, roughly. She screamed into the darkness, but the person dragging her just laughed. The person was a man, she could tell, from his large, strong arms and his gruff laugh. She tried to push away from him, punch and kick at him, but he kept a firm grip on her and continued laughing. They stopped suddenly and Leia looked up. A man smiled down at her, leering at her. She screamed for Han once again before everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7

Leia awoke writhing and screaming, struggling to get away from the arms that still held her. It took her a few gasping breaths to realize that those arms now belonged to her husband.

Han was sitting up, holding Leia in his arms and attempting to steady her. He whispered to her, trying to calm her, while placing soothing kisses into her hair.

When she realized that it had only been a dream and that it was Han who was holding her, she turned herself around in his lap and threw her arms around his neck. She kissed him, as though she would never be able to again. If he was surprised, he didn't show it, and kissed her back with equal fervor.

When they pulled apart, it was only because they needed to breathe. Leia stayed nestled in Han's arms, wrapped around each other with their foreheads pressed together. Gradually, Leia sunk into his lap and rested her head against his chest.

Han was about to speak, suggest they go back to the resort so they could talk about what happened in the privacy of their room when he froze. It was only beginning to get dark at this point, and it could only have been a shadow, a flicker of the light combined with the eeriness of a darkening forest, but Han was almost sure of what he had seen.

There was someone standing among the trees, watching them.

He lifted Leia up and threw himself up from the ground. He had pulled his blaster out from under his shirt even faster than he had stood. Leia appeared frazzled by this sudden change, but when he stepped closer to the woods, her demeanor altered, and she was the take-charge princess she had always been. When she pulled her own blaster from under her dress, Han would have laughed if he wasn't so concerned about what he had seen.

She followed his lead, stepping slowly towards the woods with blasters aimed, but when they reached the area, there was nothing to be seen. Han sighed in frustration, shaking his head. He could have sworn that he saw something, someone, there. His instincts had never been wrong before, and if he was willing to investigate deeper into the woods, he was sure he would find something, but with the late time and lack of knowledge of the land, he didn't want to press it.

He startled Leia as she looked around the forest, by grabbing her hand and leading them back down the trail. Her instincts had been sparked as well, she had felt some presence, neither ominous nor friendly, but when they had reached the edge of the woods, the feeling had gone.

She now knew that the dreams hadn't simply been dreams, and she would have to tell Han.

* * *

><p>Han was furious that she hadn't told him sooner. He was raging on and on about how during these missions they were working as a team, and when one of those team members had information that another did not, then it was her responsibility to share such information.<p>

If she hadn't been the one taking the verbal assault, she would have laughed at how general-like Han was acting. It seemed that all the years working for the Rebellion and then the Alliance had knocked some strong sense of responsibility into him. She was slightly humiliated, angry, and proud all at once, and she wasn't going to allow him free-range anymore.

"Han!"

He kept pacing, now speaking his frustration to himself.

She tried again. "Han!"

He stopped and looked at her, eyes blazing. "What?"

"Can you please just calm down for a minute."

Han looked as though that was the last thing he wanted to do. He looked between the door and where Leia was sitting on the edge of the bed, contemplating whether or not it would be worth it to leave for awhile in order to calm down. He shook his head and made his way back into the bedroom. It wouldn't be worth it to leave. They were stuck on some unknown planet with some unknown identity as an enemy, and he didn't feel much like receiving Leia's wrath later, telling him that he was irresponsible. He was the one who deserved to be mad at her anyways.

He stood in front of her with his arms crossed at his chest. He spoke cooly. "Ok."

Leia sighed. This was not going to be easy. "Can you please sit?" She patted the spot next to her on the bed, but Han obliged her only by sitting down on the chair by the bed.

She took a deep breath before continuing. "I know that you're angry-" Han began to interrupt her, but she held her hand up to stop him. "And I understand why you're upset, but you need to let me explain. It was a dream, for all I knew, I was going to be upsetting and worrying you for no reason. And you were already so on edge."

He opened his mouth again, but stopped himself this time. He watched her as she paused, carefully constructing her ideas before speaking again.

"But I think now that with my recognition of that man, and the severity of the dream, and what you saw in the woods, we can no longer dismiss it as nothing."

Han snorted, but said nothing.

Leia continued. "And if you want to continue to be mad at me that's fine, I can't change how you feel, but you're right. We do need to work as a team, so for the time being, can we at least put those hard feelings aside?"

She was looking at him with wide, innocent eyes, and Han felt himself being carried away in them. The essence of those brown orbs was almost too much of a match for him, but he quickly realized what she was doing. She was merely pretending to give him the edge, expecting that he would give into her and get over his anger.

Shaking his head to get out of her daze, he stood up.

He shook his finger at her when he spoke. "Nuh-uh lady, you're not getting out of this that easy."

Leia sighed. "Han-"

"I need you to promise me, and I expect you to follow through with that promise, that no matter what you dream or "feel" or see from now on, however significant or insignificant you think it might be, you have to tell me. And then we can discuss it together, and decide what to do about it from there. Understood?"

She nodded. "Fair enough."

Hesitantly, she stood up and moved closer to him. She took it as a good sign that he was watching her and hadn't moved away. When she stood directly in front of him, she hesitated, but then he opened his arms to her and she gladly stepped into them.

She mumbled against his lips. "I really am sorry, Han. I promise to tell you everything from now on."

He examined her closely, and when he was content that she was no longer just saying that to appease him, he nodded and pulled her closer to him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, before capturing her lips with his own.

The kiss increased in passion very quickly. Han had had a long day and felt the tension boiling up inside him ready to be released. Leia felt her desire for him build as it combined with her need to be closer to him after what had happened earlier.

They were on the bed, groping and nipping and kissing. They were quickly relieved of clothes and laid entangled in one another. When they were finished, they stayed wrapped in the other's embraced, satisfied and slightly eased from the tension of the day.

Han leaned over and kissed her again.

"Hey sweetheart?"

Leia's heart was still racing and she felt as though she was lost in perfect contentment. She opened her eyes to look at him. "Yes?"

"How about we order dinner in tonight?"

She smiled. "That sounds perfect."

She watched as he called the concierge and placed their order. Han seemed calmer than he had been in awhile, his tension temporarily at bay, but there was still an edge to him that Leia hadn't seen in awhile. He was still nervous, and now after what had happened, so was she. Everything about the mission was so unknown and now she could no longer deny or repress the danger of it.

She looked down and realized her hand was resting on her stomach. Now that the mission didn't seem as easy as she had expected going into it, it seemed so unfair to her unborn child, and to Han, that she had put them in this position. Her heart began racing again, for an entirely different reason this time. While she knew she couldn't back down from the mission at this point, she was no longer going to go about it in such nonchalant fashion.

Moving to sit against the headboard, her hand still protectively placed on her stomach, she didn't notice Han had hung up the phone and was now speaking to her.

"Leia?"

She looked up at him and smiled.

"Yes?"

He was looking at her strangely and she realized from the suspicion in his eyes that he thought she was hiding something else from him. She moved quickly to mollify the situation and reached up and kissed him.

"I was just thinking about the baby."

And although it wasn't the extent of her thoughts, it was true.

Han looked down and smiled, placing his hand on her stomach on top of her own.

When he spoke, he looked so concerned, that Leia felt her eyes water, touched.

"Is everything ok? With the baby, I mean? I know it's still early on, but-"

She kissed him again, deepening it this time.

"Everything's going well, Han, I promise. For now, let's just focus on figuring out all of this mission stuff as soon as possible so that we can go home and enjoy the pregnancy there."

He was about to agree, when she kissed him again, pulled him down to lay on his pillow, and rolled on top of him.

They didn't move from the bed until a knock came at the door bringing dinner.

* * *

><p>Leia had had a dreamless night, and while she was thankful for the peace, she still felt apprehensive. The dreams at least were telling her something, although still shrouded in mystery, and it was really the only thing they could rely on at the moment.<p>

After a short breakfast in one of the resort restaurants, they decided to head straight to the trail, and try to get as far as they could, wherever it led.

As they walked, Han no longer stopped to look at all the flowers. He looked determined, so much so that Leia had to keep reminding him to pretend to be on their honeymoon. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder in an attempt to act casual, and she hoped that she could only tell how tense he was because of how well she knew him.

They would run into an occasional couple walking together, and besides the usual smiles, nods, and friendly hellos, everyone was so caught up in one another, that Han and Leia met no pressing obstacles to keep them from their journey.

When they reached the clearing from the day earlier, Han stopped to examine it more closely. The day before had been darkening, and he was so worried about Leia, that he hadn't even thought of going deeper into the woods. But now, with his "Han Solo game-face on," he knew what he wanted to do.

Without looking at her standing beside him, he spoke. "Sweetheart?"

She followed his line of sight into the woods. "Yes, Han?"

"I think there's something in there."

Leia took a breath and nodded. "I think so too. I can feel it."

Han didn't much like the sound of that.

* * *

><p>They walked in silence, the only sounds coming from the woods itself. Anytime an animal would run by, or either of them would step on a twig or leaf, Han would jump, ready to pounce. Their eyes were peeled all around them, in front, to the sides, even behind, but they still couldn't see anything but the magnificent trees.<p>

It must have been mid-afternoon because the sun was out in full force, thankfully hidden somewhat by the trees, but Leia was stifling. Looking at Han, she could tell he was too. Sensing nothing around her, she pulled up short and called to Han who had been walking in front.

"Han?"

He turned around, immediately on alert, with his blaster raised.

"No, nothing like that."

He relaxed his grip and walked closer to her. "What's wrong?"

"I think I could use a break." She looked down in embarrassment. "And I'm starving."

He smiled. "Lucky you, having a husband who is incredibly handsome and extremely intelligent."

She smirked. "How's that?"

"Because I sensed that you might be hungry before we were done exploring and I went ahead and packed us some lunch."

Leia smiled brilliantly at him and grabbed the bag out of his hand. "I can't believe I didn't think of that. Thank the gods you're always thinking with your stomach!"

Han tried to look indignant, but she ignored him. She was too busy digging through his backpack.

"Han, how long did you think we were going to be here? This would be too much food even if Chewie were here."

Still stung by her previous comment, Han decided to get a bit cheeky. "Well, princess, you are pregnant."

Leia was so hungry, and so grateful he had brought food, that she couldn't even be angry with him. Instead, she punched him playfully on his arm and sat down on a nearby log.

They ate in silence, and when Leia had had her share, she took the time to actually appreciate her surroundings. The forest was huge and immaculate. The trees seemed to stretch for miles above her, their leaves at the top in all shades of beautiful colors.

Looking up, she felt the rays of the sun beat down on her, and now with her hunger satiated, she realized how thirsty she was.

"Hey, flyboy, did that great mind of yours think to bring some water?"

Han had been looking all around them, ever on alert, but when she asked him, it seemed to pull him out of some trance.

"Kest, I knew I was forgetting something."

"That's alright, I didn't think to bring any of it. No bother though, I think there's a river somewhere nearby."

"How do you figure that?"

She smiled at him. "I can hear it. Come on."

They had to only walk a little while when they found a river hidden in the trees. The water was a crystal blue, deeper than Leia would have expected, but she could still see the bottom.

Han got down on his hands and knees to take a sip, and when he came up to ask Leia if she was going to join him, he was surprised to see his wife's clothes lying in a heap next to him.

"Leia?"

He looked behind him, anxiously searching about for her. When he turned around to face the river again, he was welcomed with a great splash in his face.

He looked so shocked that Leia almost felt apologetic. He gave her a look. "Really, princess?"

She giggled. "I'm sorry, Han, but it was so hot out and the river looked so inviting. I couldn't help myself. Besides, there's no one around right now."

He stood looking at her, shaking his head in annoyance. But then he realized that his very naked, very attractive wife was currently skinny dipping in a wonderfully refreshing-looking river with no one else in sight. He tore off his clothing as quickly as he could and ran into the water after her.

Han dunked under the water, relishing in the cool sensation against his hot skin. When he came up for air, he found Leia watching him in amusement, and he pulled her closer to him.

"You know, sweetheart," he smirked. "My stomach's not the only thing I like to think with."

And then he kissed her.


	8. Chapter 8

An hour later, Han and Leia had cooled off and were back on their way through the forest. Leia felt guilty knowing that they had gotten off track, but she smirked, believing that the distraction was worth it.

Han was back to his brooding self, his pace quickening as his frustration grew because they weren't finding anything. Leia struggled to keep up with him, her breathing ragged and the heat of the sun getting to her again. She also had a sinking feeling growing in the pit of her stomach, a sign that they were getting closer to something. She knew inherently that that something was not good. She lengthened her strides and grabbed Han's arm, pulling him to a stop.

"Han?" Her voice came out in a whisper.

He was annoyed that she was stopping again, determined that he wouldn't fall into anymore distractions, but at the tone of her voice, his eyes softened and he looked down at her questioningly.

"There's something coming up ahead."

Han waited expectantly for her to continue, but Leia looked away from him in thought.

He sighed in frustration. "Leia? What is it?"

Her eyes remained focused away from him, and when Han followed her line of sight, he realized she was staring intently at something that looked like some sort of unmarked trail.

"What do you think it is?" As he spoke, Han placed his hand gently on Leia's shoulder, shaking her out of her haze.

"I'm not sure, but it looks off, doesn't it? Do you think we should follow it?"

Han walked over to it, examining it more closely, but he couldn't see much beyond the foliage keeping it hidden. He bent down, not quite sure what he was doing, but he was buying himself more time, trying to evade the inevitable.

"I'm gonna follow it-"

He hadn't realized that Leia had joined him on the ground until she spoke, her voice much closer to him than he expected.

"What do you mean by 'I'm' exactly? We're in this together, Han, and if you think for a second that I'm going to watch you follow this trail then turn around and meander back to the resort, you must be going crazy. I can't believe that you would even-"

"Leia!"

She appeared slightly fazed to be cut off, but recovered quickly. "What?"

"It was a slip of the tongue, alright? Relax. We're going together. It's not like I'd let you go back to the resort by yourself anyways. There's no way I'm letting you out of my sight."

Leia wasn't sure why she was getting so defensive, but she felt irritable, and at the moment, Han was the only outlet she had.

"You don't think I can handle myself, Han? Because I'll have you know that I am just as capable as you. Even more so in fact. At least I plan. I'm organized. You always seem to just stumble into things and then stumble out. It's a wonder you're still alive."

Han didn't respond. He just looked at her, not even matching her glare. Leia's cheeks were flushed from feeling overheated combined with the passion of her argument.

She watched as Han stood up and straightened himself out, never breaking eye contact.

"Are you done? I think we should get a move on."

At this, he turned and began following the trail. Leia followed grudgingly, angry at his lack of a response, and angry at herself for being so agitated. He hadn't even seemed disconcerted when he spoke. She didn't like it when he didn't fight back. It always made her feel foolish, and that unnerved her. She went back and forth, arguing with herself over whether to continue prodding him or just not saying anything.

She chose the latter, mostly because she was growing tired and thirsty again. When her stomach growled, she almost sighed in frustration, but she didn't want her husband getting all persnickety with worry again. It was annoying.

Leia hoped it was the hormones and her exhaustion talking. It was the only excuse she had, despite her concern over not even knowing what it was they were looking for and what would happen when they found it. And she knew Han would forgive her, that he probably wasn't even mad at this point, but at the moment, that was bothering her even more.

If she hadn't been pregnant, he wouldn't be so worried and brooding all the time. The Han she was used to, the one who wasn't an over-anxious father-to-be, would have been excited for the mission. He would have jumped right into it without even thinking twice about the danger.

It wasn't that she didn't appreciate his concern, or feel the same way, because she did. But it was his lack of confidence that was bothering her the most. She had gotten so used to his overconfident, arrogant demeanor on missions, and in her life in general, that it was a comfort to her that she didn't know she needed until it was suddenly missing.

She wanted to press him, to make him argue back. Just to treat her like he always did. She knew that he loved her, but he didn't have to be so loving all of the time. She liked their arguments almost as much as their tender moments, and right now, he was being too overprotective.

Leia had to keep her eyes trained on Han as he followed the trail, so she slowed down when she saw him stepping slightly away from it.

She stopped walking and stood with her hands on her hips. "Han?"

He kept walking. "Yes, sweetheart?"

"Where are you going? The trail's that way."

Han turned around to look at her, amusement in his eyes. "I know that, but I figured we could stop for a quick break. There's a river or something nearby."

"And how do you know that?"

He smirked. "I can hear it."

She rolled her eyes, but remained quiet, secretly grateful that they were stopping for a break and that he had found water. Leia followed him for a few minutes until she watched him stop and pulled up next to him.

"That's it?"

She stared down at the tiny stream that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was just a trickle of water at best.

Han's smile instantly faded. "Well it might not be as good as the one that you found, but it's something. And it's definitely fresh water."

Leia stood in defiance as Han bent down and started greedily cupping the water in his hand and drinking it.

At this small act, Leia suddenly felt overwhelmed. It was definitely the hormones kicking in as she now wanted nothing more than to be in her husband's arms.

She bent down next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder to steady herself and took a big gulp of water. They stayed in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the water and break from walking.

Leia, who at the moment felt like she couldn't be close enough to Han if she tried, began rubbing his shoulder gently. He looked at her in surprise and confusion.

"I thought you were mad at me?"

She looked at him with wide, innocent eyes, and he was alarmed to see tears welling up in them.

"Leia, what-?"

She threw herself at him, embracing him in as close a hug as she could muster. He was so surprised that he lost his balance and toppled over into the stream.

"Oh Han, I'm sorry!" Han struggled to get himself up with Leia still latched to him.

"What has gotten into you, sweetheart?"

He muttered at her, and Leia smiled slightly, recognizing the tension in his voice.

"I'm sorry I was upset with you, and I'm sorry for getting you all wet."

He looked annoyed as he pulled her off of him and brushed himself off. She tried clearing the mud from him, but now felt a rush of laughter run through her.

Han stood, staring indignantly at her with his mouth slightly agape as Leia tried to stifle her heaving gasps of laughter, thoroughly confused.

"Is this some sort of joke? This whole thing? Leia, what is going on?"

Leia took a deep breath to calm herself. "No, no, Han, I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. One minute I'm so mad at you I could strangle you, then I feel this overwhelming affection, and now I can't stop laughing."

At the lack of amusement in Han's eyes, Leia sobered a little more.

"I'm sorry, Han. It's been a long day and I think the heat's getting to me."

He mumbled to himself, but still didn't say anything. She watched as he finished cleaning himself off.

He spoke, "Alright, I think we should get back to it. I know you're tired, but I don't think there's any sense into giving up at this point. Besides, you said you felt like we were getting closer?"

Han started to walk back towards the trail, but Leia called to him.

"That's all you're going to say? You're not even mad? I've been acting like a crazy person this entire day and you just bite your tongue and say nothing?"

Han sighed and turned back around.

"Listen, sweetheart. Yeah you've been acting a little _different_ lately, but at this point, I don't even care. I just want to get this over with."

"A little different? Have you just been tuning me out the entire day or have you really just softened?"

"Hunny-"

"No. Please do not '_hunny_' me. When we find what we're looking for, I don't want this mushy Han Solo there with me as my partner. I want the one who thrives off danger, and even though he gets himself into trouble because he can be a cocky bastard, and runs his mouth, and has no idea what it is that works for him, I always have full confidence that we're going to get out of it together. When I push him, he pushes right back, harder. I know that you don't want to be here, and I get that I was ignorant about the mission, I shouldn't have agreed to it, and it's unfair to both you and to our child, but it's too late for that now. We need to get this done, and I want the Han Solo I know and love with me. So, if you know where he is, can you please bring him back?"

She was crossing a line and she knew it, but Leia meant what she said. She stared at him, her confidence wavering within her, but she kept a cool exterior.

Leia watched as Han kept her gaze, no expression on his face, or evidence of what he was feeling. Suddenly, he broke the gaze and went off in a storm of curse words.

She watched as he threw his limbs around in a flurry, letting his frustration out on the wind. She watched as he cursed and went off muttering to himself, and when he looked back up at her, she tried not to smirk when she saw the anger in his eyes.

He still didn't say anything to her, so Leia cautiously made her way over to him. She took it as a good sign when he didn't flinch as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Han?" She hesitated. "It's alright to be mad at me. I messed up this time. I get that. And I really have been acting strangely today, but we're so close to where we need to be right now, and I need us to be prepared."

She stopped, not knowing what else to say. Han was staring off into the distance. He sighed and looked back at her.

"You think I just '_stumble_' into things, yet you're the one who made us jump into a trash compactor. If it weren't for the droids we'd be dead, you know?"

Leia looked at him in surprise, amused that of all the things she had said to him, that was the one he had focused on.

"Yes, well that was only because you tried to rescue me without a plan. I had to improvise. It was either that or run straight at them."

"First of all, the rescue was all Luke's idea. If it had been up to me, I would have just gotten off that thing without another thought. And secondly, if you remember, I did run straight at them, and I think it worked out pretty well for all of us."

Leia scowled at him. "I hardly think it's a good idea for you to be telling your wife that you should have left her imprisoned, seeing as I believe it worked out very nicely for you in the end."

His eyes sparkled as he looked at her, and Leia couldn't help but lean over and kiss him. When she pulled away, he grabbed her by her shoulders and kissed her back fiercely.

They were both breathless when they finally broke apart.

He whispered to her as she leaned against him. "Yeah, I guess you're alright."

Leia laughed and hugged him closer.

She was about to kiss him again when the sinking feeling burned in her stomach. She felt a moment of blind fear and pulled away from Han.

"Leia, what is it?"

His eyes were once again laced with confusion and dread, but this time Leia couldn't argue. She reached for his hand to pull him away from the stream and back towards the trail, when she saw something that made her freeze.

"Han-"

He reacted quickly, reading her reaction, turned around and aimed his blaster.

The man from Leia's dreams, the same one they had seen the day before, stood in front of them, smirking.

Han was ready to shoot, but then another man stepped out from behind them, aiming his blaster at Leia.

Han looked between the two men and growled when he spoke. "Who are you? What do you want?"

The man who Leia had recognized continued to look amused. Han saw that the man was older than him, but still in good shape. He watched as the man casually wiped his black hair away from his face, still looking amused.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something? Such a _sweet_ couple."

The man stepped closer towards them.

"You can drop the blaster Solo, you'll have no use for it now. You too, Mrs. Solo. Yep, lay it right down in front of me."

Han continued to stare at him, but as the second man continued to train his blaster on Leia, Han sighed and dropped it. Leia followed suit.

"You might as well hand over that backpack you have too."

Han and Leia glared at him, but the man continued smiling at them.

He spoke again, "I'd ask you what you're doing on this fine planet, but I think I already know the answer. Your false identities might be good enough to fool most of the inhabitants here, but we've been well trained to be able to recognize the two of you."

He laughed. Leia felt her stomach lurch.

"Now, now. What to do from here." The man looked at his partner. "Alright, why don't we blindfold the lady. Would you please do the honors? Now, General Solo, let's not get testy."

The man pulled out his own blaster and aimed it at Han, who didn't want anyone touching Leia and had moved to swipe at the man.

"Don't worry, General Solo," the man continued. "We won't harm the lady, we know she's pregnant. That would just be wrong."

Han and Leia looked at each other in shock. Very few of their friend's knew Leia was pregnant, and she wasn't even showing yet. How could this man know?

The man spoke with a leer in his voice. He kept his blaster at Han's head while the other man gently placed a blindfold over Leia's eyes. It took all she could not to protest.

"Now you on the other hand-" The man's voice trailed off as he stunned Han, making him fall to the ground, and the other man grabbed Leia.

Leia screamed, calling out to Han, not knowing what had just happened. She tried to reach out, kicking and hitting the air, trying to get away from the man. There was a moment of silent struggling when she screamed again started being dragged away. One of the men was laughing, despite her struggling. She tried to push away from the arms holding her, tried to punch and kick at him, but the man kept a firm grip on her. She called out to Han again, but the only response was more laughter. After what seemed like forever, but had really only been a few minutes, they stopped moving. Leia continued to fight and scream. Her blindfold was lifted off her eyes and all she could see was the face of the man from her dreams. He leered at her, and she yelled once more for Han.

But then everything went black.


	9. Chapter 9

Leia awoke, but for a moment all she could see was darkness. She could only feel her heart thudding against her chest, her legs and arms chained against some make shift prison cell. Panic rose in her once again as she realized the situation she was now in and that she didn't know where Han was. She took a deep breath, impatiently waiting for her eyes to become accustomed to the dark and listened intently for some sign of life form.

She heard him before she saw him.

His breathing dangerously ragged, but unmistakably his. Leia opened her mouth to call out to him, but choked on her words. Her throat was hoarse from all the screaming she did, she was guessing, not too long ago, but she had no idea how long she had been out of it.

Not knowing where they were or who might be around them left her feeling incredibly vulnerable. She knew she needed to wake Han, but didn't want to call any more attention to them.

"Han?" Leia spoke quietly and cautiously.

Han's head had bobbed to lay with his chin against his chest. It took all he had to lift his head up and look at her. When their eyes met, Leia gasped in fear and shock.

"Oh, Han!"

He tried to smile at her.

""M alright. Just a few scratches." He seemed to gag on his words. His breaths became raspy and his head fell back against the hard cement wall of the cell.

Leia tried to move closer to him, but the chains that bound her hands and feet kept her immobilized.

"Han, we're going to get out of this." Her pleas were desperate. "Luke will come, I'm sure of it. You just have to hold on."

Han didn't say anything, just focused on trying to get his breathing back to normal. When he coughed, Leia saw spots of blood spew from his mouth. She grimaced and with tears in her eyes spoke to him once more.

"I'm so sorry, Han. This is all my fault. You just have to hold on. Please!"

He lifted his head up again and tried to smile to reassure her.

When he spoke, his voice came out hoarse and he spoke slowly. "Not your fault. Just need sleep."

His eyes drooped and he laid his head against the wall. He spoke again before succumbing to sleep.

"Love you."

Leia's scream pierced the air, but Han did not move.

At this moment, she didn't care where they were, who might be waiting close by, or what they might do.

She just needed to wake her husband.

Struggling futilely against her chains, Leia cried out continuously, but still Han did not move.

Her screams turned into silent sobs, when she was shocked suddenly out of her stupor by the sound of laughter. Her transformation was quick, tears gone, giving way to a menacing glare.

"What did you do to him?" She spat at the man.

The man continued to laugh. "Nothing too harmful. For now. Knocked him around a bit, just because. Gave him a sedative to calm that temper of his. Yours ran out faster, we didn't give you quite as big of a dose."

Leia looked over at Han, inspecting him as closely as she could. She squinted her eyes and almost sighed in relief when she realized that his chest was moving, though very slightly, up and down.

"Why are you doing this?"

The man laughed again. "Isn't it obvious? Because it's you. And it's him. And you've been caught meddling again. Figured it was time someone taught the two of you a lesson."

"What have we caught you doing exactly?"

"Nice try, Princess, but I don't think so. I'm not just going to tell you."

Han's body heaved as he let out a crushing cough, causing both Leia and the man to turn back to him. Leia tried to move towards him but was stuck in place by the chains.

"Let me go to him. Please." She grimaced at the man.

"I don't know about that idea." The man paused in order to size her up. "You might be small, but I've heard all the stories. I don't think I'll take the risk."

"Who are you?"

"I have to say, Princess, I'm a little disappointed. I expected a bit more from the two of you. If you haven't figured it out on your own, I'm certainly not going to just tell you. What's the fun in that?"

Han coughed again, causing Leia to cringe.

"Can you at least get him some water?"

The man simply looked at her and walked away. Leia looked helplessly at Han who was looking a little too peaceful sleeping for her tastes, considering their predicament. She whispered his name, willing him to wake up, but he didn't stir.

When the man returned, he didn't say a word, but was holding two cups of water. He offered one to Leia, who could barely hold it because of the chains around her arms, but she didn't drink. She could only watch, holding her breath as he splashed some of the water onto Han's face. When he still didn't wake, the man wrenched open Han's mouth and forced the water down his throat. Leia screamed in protest, but Han woke up spluttering.

After coming to, Han drank greedily from the cup, and rested his head against the cell once again, this time with his eyes open. His eyes searched for Leia's, imploring her to make sure she was ok, but all she could do was stare guiltily back.

"I'll have-" he paused. "Another man- come back with some food. We're still trying to decide exactly what we want to do with you. Personally, I'd rather not deal with that brother of yours."

He left them alone once again. Han still fighting to stay awake and Leia thinking desperately of how to get them out of this. She tried to call to Luke but she couldn't feel his presence very strongly through the force.

"Are you alright?"

She was shaken from her thoughts by Han's voice. She looked at him in surprise.

"Am I alright? Han have you seen yourself? You're in a much worse position than I am right now."

She tried to smile at him, but his expression remained serious.

"They didn't hurt you? Or the baby?"

Leia felt a pang of guilt for not immediately thinking of their child, but she had been so preoccupied worrying about Han, that it hadn't even occurred to her.

"No, they didn't. Everything's fine."

"Good. We'll get out of this somehow, sweetheart."

She wished she had his confidence, however delusional at the moment, and tried once again to call out to Luke. She thought she felt something, but she couldn't be sure.

Leia needed to examine the cell more closely, but with her body tied, she only had a limited view. First and foremost, she needed to keep her husband awake.

"Han-"

She stopped suddenly when the door opened again and a man stepped out. He was different from either of the men who had captured them in the forest. He was younger, with soft brown hair, slightly stocky, and looking extremely nervous, or guilty. Possibly both. Leia's instincts tingled and she knew she could use him to her advantage.

The man had brought them two plates of bread and what looked like some sort of cheese. She and Han watched as the man placed the plates down, one in front of each of them. He left only to return a moment later with more water.

"Who are you?"

The man looked frightened to be addressed by Leia. He glanced quickly at the door. When he turned back towards her, he shook her head.

Leia stared him right in the eyes, her own eyes pleading.

"Could you at least un-chain us? Please? I'm pregnant and I think it would be the best for the baby, for all of us, if we could at least move around a little bit."

The man's guilt seeped in his face. He left the cell once more, and Leia had almost given up hope, when only seconds later the man returned, holding a small key in his hands.

Keeping one eye on the door and one on Leia, he unlocked the chains. He looked between Leia and Han, and must have decided that he didn't want to be in the room when Han was un-chained, dropped the key next to Leia and hurriedly left the cell.

Leia quickly sat up and made her way to Han. She kissed his forehead before freeing him the chains. When she looked up at him, she was surprised to see he was smirking.

"What can possibly be funny right now?"

He laughed slightly, although doing so caused him to cough again.

"It's just that, you really know how to use that pregnancy thing to your advantage."

She ignored him and instead examined his body to access the damage.

"Sweetheart, I appreciate the effort, but I really don't think now is the right time."

Leia would have swatted him if there hadn't already been a significant amount of bruises and cuts covering his body.

"Han, I think Luke knows we're in trouble."

"Well that's good, 'cept it's gonna take awhile for them to get here. Chewie's gonna be mad at you, you know? He wanted to come along, but you wouldn't let him. Going on and on about how no one would believe that we actually had a wookiee for a pet. I guess it wouldn't have mattered either way, seems like they knew we were coming."

Leia frowned. "I'm not sure they did know we were coming. I just think they were on alert because they were doing something wrong, and despite our mediocre efforts at disguises, we're far too recognizable. Even out here. Kest, I hate it when you're right."

He laughed because she so rarely swore, but even though, in most circumstances, he would have happily gloated, celebrated even, that she had admitted he was right and she was wrong, at the moment, he wished the complete opposite.

"Yeah well-" He didn't know what to say and he was aching all over. His only solace was that Leia seemed unharmed, meaning the baby would be too.

"How about we eat something, Han? Than we can try to figure out what to do from here. I just wish it was a little bit lighter so I could see the cell more clearly, but there's obviously no windows. I think that last man who just came in here is our best bet, he's definitely their weak link. But I would feel bad if we had to hurt him or something."

She was speaking fast and hushed, and Han found that he could barely keep up.

"How about you keep thinking to yourself and I'll try to eat and recover my stamina a bit?"

Leia frowned again, but handed him his plate and leaned next to him against the wall. They ate in silence, and when they finished, Leia rested her head against Han, deep in thought.

She looked up at him after a few moments.

"You better not even be thinking of sleeping right now, Solo. You need to wake up."

"Oh, I'm sorry." His tone was sarcastic. "It's a little hard to stay awake, and I'm bored. You're not even talking to me."

"Han, you just told me not to talk out loud."

"That's when I was hungry and I could concentrate on my food. Now I have nothing to do."

"You want me to entertain you? In a prison cell? Really?"

"Alright, alright. Run your plan by me. I know you got one."

"Are you sure you're going to be up for it, Han?"

He smiled at her, reassuringly. "Hey, it's me. We can always rest later."

In response, she leaned up and kissed him. Fully and deeply on the mouth.

"Ok then, Hotshot. Here's what we're going to do."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I have no excuse for not updating before this, so I apologize and hope you will still continue to read. Enjoy!**

Her plan had worked. It had gone a little too easily for their normal standards, so when they finally got outside, Leia sighed in relief that something had actually gone a bit wrong.

It was raining.

Pouring freezing rain that made it almost impossible to see more than a footstep ahead of them. But this minor obstacle in their plan was welcomed because they were never used to getting out of things the easy way.

The younger, stocky man had reinforced Leia's initial instincts.

He walked in, with a trembling blaster in one hand aimed right in front of him, in the middle of her spiel about figuring out a plan. It now seemed that one had fallen into her lap.

When the man first stepped through the door, Han went rigid and Leia could feel him start to rise. She firmly placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him, silently pleading with him to wait. Thankfully it was dark and the man was not able to see them very well. Han looked confused and annoyed, but recognized the fiery determination in her eyes and stopped abruptly.

As the man made his way closer to them he spoke in an equally trembling voice.

"I-I um, just need to collect your p-plates. We d-don't h-have many here and they'd k-kill me if I didn't have their dinner prepared for w-when they get back."

Realizing his mistake, the man's eyes widened, but he didn't say another word. He did not want them knowing he was watching them alone, even if he was the one with a blaster in hand.

Leia picked up on the error immediately but had the good grace not to respond, not even with her body movements. Sensing that Han was about to make a snide remark, Leia elbowed him, as gently as she could, in the side, cringing as she did so.

Han let out a gasp of pain followed by a line of expletives.

"Ow! Kest, Leia! What the-"

She clutched his arm and interrupted him. "Oh, Han, my stomach! The baby-"

Han froze and went to check her when he saw her give him a quick wink and a little smile.

The man had walked up behind them, Leia could now see, looking worried.

"I-is there s-something wrong?"

Han went to turn around on him, but Leia beat him to the punch. Before Han could even begin to move, she had jumped up and punched the man directly in the stomach. He went down in shock and could only watch as Leia swooped up the dropped blaster, checked that it was only on stun, and aimed it at his chest.

She sent him a silent apology with her eyes before pressing down on the trigger, grabbed Han's hand, and ran out the door.

Even though the man had said they were alone, the pair was cautious as they made their way outside of the cell. They stopped to listen carefully and take a quick look around. Han rummaged around in the drawers in a shabby desk that sat directly to the right of the cell door. Apparently finding what he was looking for, Han lifted his blaster triumphantly in the air and signaled for them to leave.

Leia nodded, not sensing any presence around them, and lead the way through the rest of what appeared to be a small shack. She creaked the door open and stepped directly into the rain.

She heard Han laugh quietly behind her and something that sounded vaguely like "typical" as he reached for her hand.

Han had started to walk, but turned around with a roll of his eyes when he noticed she wasn't following him.

"C'mon, we need to go."

"Han, we don't even know where we are."

"Doesn't matter right now, sweetheart, just run."

She wanted to ask if he was really up for it, but knew it was a useless question considering their predicament and listened to him.

They were running almost blindly. The rain was thick and the forest was covered in trees and bushes. Thankfully, they didn't have to worry about being too quiet as the rain was far too loud to hear over and Leia appreciated that it was Han in front directing them.

After what seemed like forever, and what must have been an appropriate distance away from the shack, Han pulled up short. Leia squinted, the raindrops clouding her vision, as she watched Han double over clutching his side in pain.

Her natural instinct was to tease him about not being in great shape, but she knew that wasn't it and she wasn't feeling all that great herself.

She stepped up next to him, placing a hand on his back and rubbing circles around it.

"I'm sorry for elbowing you, Han, but I had a plan in mind and your big mouth was going to get us into trouble again."

When he lifted his head up, only slightly, Han could only grimace at her. But when he spoke, his tone was playful.

"Ah, you're just using that as an excuse."

She gave a little laugh before helping him over to a log sitting conveniently nearby. She kissed his forehead and sat next to him. She listened intently to the surrounding area and Han's breathing. Once he sounded less raspy and it became less ragged, Leia decided it was time to speak her plans out loud.

"Han, how bad of an idea do you think it would be to go back to the resort?"

She wasn't sure if he had heard her at first, but after taking a deep breath, he finally responded.

"I was thinking the same thing. I dunno though. They only got us because we technically walked right to them, but who the hell knows who's in cahoots with who. And who knows how long those other guys were plannin' on being gone. They might already be back and out waiting for us."

Leia sighed. "True, but hopefully they'll wait for the rain to stop." She paused, deep in thought, before coming to a conclusion and continuing. "It's risky, but I don't get a bad feeling about going back to the resort. Mon and Carlist said that whatever was going on was happening in secret, and since the planet relies so heavily on the tourist community, I doubt that whoever imprisoned us would try anything blatant."

"Alright, sweetheart, you seem to be the one with the plan."

He stood up, grunting in pain, so Leia clutched his hand.

"I do have good news, Han."

He turned to face her. "Yeah, what's that?"

"We only have a bit more to go. The clearing's right there."

* * *

><p>Leia found herself once again startled by their fairly good luck so far.<p>

The only looks they had gotten when they cautiously stepped inside the resort were ones of sympathy from people assuming they had just been caught in the rain, otherwise no one looked twice.

While each wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the bed, perhaps after taking a long, steaming shower, they were afraid their luck would dry out and got right to getting ready to go.

They cleaned in silence as they packed up the room, knowing that once the rain stopped they would inevitably have visitors, either inside the resort or outside when they went to make their escape. It was decided that they would stop in the room, grab their stuff, and head out immediately.

Hopefully they would get to the ship without any unwanted obstacles, so they could fly back to the Falcon and on to Coruscant. Once there, they would be able to discuss in council what to do next. There was no point in trying to go in disguise anymore and risking their lives further.

They were shaken out of their stupor by a knock on the door. Han and Leia froze, grabbed their blasters and stood in front of the door of their room. Han looked through the peephole and turned back to look at her in confusion.

She whispered, "Who is it?"

"The guy who checked us in the first day."

"Should we answer it?"

He nodded his head and ushered her to the side of the door so she could keep out of sight but in good range in the unlikely case the guy was dangerous. He was a small man who had spoken far too quickly and energetically for Han's liking when he had first met him, and there was nothing outwardly dangerous about him.

Han took a deep breath, shoved his blaster into his pants behind him, and turned the knob.

"What can I do for ya?"

The man was taken aback by Han's appearance, still sopping wet and covered in mud.

"I was here to warn you about the storm, but it seems like you've already become acquainted with it." He gave a little giggle.

Han rolled his eyes, but tried to keep his temper in check. "You don't say? Is that all? Good."

He went to close the door but the man stopped him. "I'm afraid not, sir. You see, we're not used to storms of this magnitude. While it rains quite enough, we're not really prepared for anything like this and the entire planet has been shut down in a state of emergency. That means no one can go outside and all flights in and out have been cancelled."

The man paused in fear at Han's groan of anger, but quickly recovered and continued.

"We apologize profusely for the situation and plead that you do not leave the resort as it is quite dangerous to do so. As you can already attest to I'm sure."

He took a step back from Han before continuing, noticing that Han was not sharing the same humor in the situation.

"And know that all food and beverages will be covered by the resort of course. I-erm, someone will be back in contact with you at a later time, hopefully in the coming days to let you know when it will be safe to come and go. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like it's going to lighten up anytime soon. Sorry again for the inconvenience."

With a little nod, the man had walked away as fast as possible as Han slammed the door.

"Whaddya say, sweetheart? Should we just ignore orders like usual and leave anyways or-? I don't like that look you're givin' me princess. You think we should stay, really?"

Leia turned her attention to look outside the window. "I don't think we'll be able to get the ship up even if we did decide to leave. Even if we would be piloted by the best captain in the galaxy," she added at Han's indignant look. "I have a good feeling about staying here right now, Han. I'm not sensing anything negative about these people and we chose a highly secure resort-"

Han heaved a sigh, double checking the lock on the door, and started stripping off his mud-soaked clothes.

"Well, if we're gonna be stuck here for awhile, sweetheart, I say we at least make it interesting."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her, and Leia had already started taking her own clothes off when she looked up and noticed the bruising and cuts that covered Han's torso.

"Han, I think right now you need to focus on getting cleaned up so that I can take a look at that body of yours."

He smiled crookedly at her. "That's exactly what I've been suggesting."

He stepped closer to her, but she held a hand up to stop him.

"That's not what I meant, hot shot. Your body is a bruised and bloody mess, and before we even think about doing that, I would like to make sure you're ok."

Han had only complied when Leia agreed to at least shower with him and to make up for it after she fixed him up with the first aid kit they had brought.

It was a testament to how much pain Han was really in that he had only tried to seduce her three times in the shower and to no avail. It was only the groans of pain he couldn't suppress that kept Leia on track as she wasn't normally very good at resisting him. After washing the grime off of their bodies, Leia did her best to help Han by at least alleviating the pain. They ordered enough room service to last them a few days as they didn't want to risk having people coming to their room constantly and drawing attention to themselves.

When it arrived, Han quickly accepted the food and deviously explained that they were on their honeymoon and had both worked up _quite _the appetite. The woman who had served them grinned sheepishly at him, unable to prevent a deep blush from spreading across her face, and left as quickly as she had come. Han and Leia devoured the food before finally passing out on the bed.

Leia was careful not to lie too close to Han so as not to hurt him, but he pulled her to him, holding her tightly in his arms.

"I wish we were doing this on a ship outta here, princess. Do you think we're gonna have to take turns sleeping?"

Leia frowned, having been thinking of that as well. "Gods, I don't know. I think we'd hear something and be able to get ready before anything happened. But do we want to risk it?"

She interrupted herself with a wide yawn. Han laughed softly and turned her around to face him. He leaned into her and kissed her deeply.

He muttered sleepily, "We'll just sleep with our blasters within arms' reach."

Leia merely nodded, affected by her increasingly heavy eyelids and Han's closeness.

She snaked an arm around the back of his neck and pulled him even closer.

"I think I promised you something if you're still up for it, flyboy."

She didn't give him time to respond before she kissed him again.


	11. Chapter 11

Leia awoke with a start, hearing a pounding beat down around her. She sat up in the bed, surrounded by darkness, but relief poured through her when she realized that the ominous noise was just the rain.

She turned towards the window and was shocked by how hard it was still raining. She couldn't see the city outside through the downpour, and she was very happy that she was inside and cuddled up with her warm husband.

Sighing, Leia turned back to look down on Han, still sleeping soundly. He looked so peaceful and unbothered that she didn't dare wake him. Especially because he would probably still be in a great deal of pain, and the more he slept it off, the better.

With the hurricane still raging outside, Leia noted that they wouldn't have much cause to get out of the bed anyways. She smirked when thinking of what Han would say about their predicament, something raunchy and delicious all at once.

She laid back down and curled into him. His hand sprawled across her body, drawing her to him, but Han continued to sleep. She smiled as he spooned behind her and gave a little sigh of contentment. Pulling the covers up over the two of them, Leia watched the rain fall until she fell back asleep.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Leia woke up again, but the sky was still dark and the rain still pouring. She rolled over to find her husband now sitting up in bed staring down at his datapad with a frown on his face.<p>

"What's wrong with you?"

When he looked down at her, the frown remained, but his eyes lightened.

"Damn thing's not working. I think the rain is messing with the connection. I've been trying the past hour, both mine and yours, and I got nothing. _And _the TV's not working."

Leia looked at him in surprise. "Not like the Alliance could get anyone over here anyways. Not with this weather. Han, you don't think those men could have anything to do with this?"

He raised one eyebrow in thought.

"I don't know. Same thing occurred to me too, but I've traveled all around the galaxy and I've never seen anything or anyone that can control the weather. I think it's just dumb luck. Good that it helped us lose our trail outside of that place, bad that it's keeping us here."

He threw the datapad down on the table beside him, laid back down, and pulled her into his arms.

"I know we might be stuck in the middle of a sort of crisis at the moment, sweetheart, but this might be the most free time we've had together in a long time without any deadlines or work hanging over our heads. And nothing to do but stay in bed."

Leia smirked, in agreement and at knowing him so well.

"Well I'm glad we can relax for a bit. That gives us a lot of extra time to plan our escape."

Ignoring the loud groan coming from Han, Leia continued.

"How are you feeling? I packed plenty of medication knowing our history."

"I took some after I woke up-"

She cut him off abruptly.

"Did you eat anything?"

Han almost laughed at the motherly look she gave him, but found it was in his best interest to refrain, considering the answer he was about to give her.

"I-uh-I was waiting for you. I'm a real gentlemen like that."

"Han, you can't just take those pain meds on an empty stomach!"

She hopped off the bed and ran to collect some of the food they were storing. She came back with a handful of fruit and breads that she tossed onto the bed in front of him.

"Eat," she ordered before jumping back on the bed to join him.

As they picnicked on the bed, Leia tried to steer the conversation towards planning an escape off the planet.

"I think it's pivotal that we-"

"Listen, Leia, I already got our plan all figured out."

She quirked an eyebrow and looked skeptical at him.

"Is that so? What may I ask is your big idea then?"

His tone was just as teasing. "Get our stuff together, wait for the rain to slow, then get to the ship and get outta here."

Leia sighed in annoyance. "And what if something goes wrong? What do we do then?"

"Improvise like we always have. Hasn't failed us yet."

"And the first time it does is our last time ever."

"We always have this conversation, sweetheart, and no matter how many times you think things through in your head our out loud to me, none of it ever happens right. So why bother when we can just sit here and relax?"

She looked at him exasperatedly. "I can't just relax, Han! Not when I know that there are at least two men out there who want to do gods knows what with us."

"I don't think you've ever relaxed in your life."

"I have so!"

"Not like this you haven't. Just sitting here, on the bed, not going over any notes on your datapad or breaking the silence with unnecessary schemes."

"Oh, you are dead wrong!"

"Yeah? Prove it!"

He smirked when she crossed her arms and sat up against the headboard. She turned away from him to look out the window and to ignore him, and when she didn't speak for several minutes, Han leaned back with his hands behind his head and stretched out on the bed, with a big smile on his face.

He felt himself drifting off to bed, when his peace was disturbed by a creaking of the bed.

Han sat up. "Wha-?"

"Well I can't just sit there! I'm going to take a bath!"

With that, Leia stepped into the fresher and shut the door. Han was caught between laughing at her because he was right, and pouting that he hadn't been invited into the fresher with her. He decided that while locked up in the hotel room, gloating was not the best option, so he cautiously stood up and walked over to the door.

He heard the distinct sound of running water filling the tub.

"Sweetheart?"

Her voice was only slightly muffled. "Yes, Han?"

"Do you, uh, want some company in there?"

"Oh no, I'm fine. I thought you wanted to just relax."

He thought he could hear the smirk in her voice.

"Yeah well, now that you mention it, I think the bath might be even more relaxing. With my bruises and all, I bet the water would be real healing."

Leia didn't answer, but he could hear her moving around in the fresher, preparing her bath. He was about to give up and turn back towards the bed when the fresher door opened, revealing Leia standing only in a towel.

"Even though you barely make a case, I suppose your company won't be minded," and she pulled him in with her.

They spent the rest of the day, and the next, just enjoying each other's company and trying to come up with different ways to relax. Han's ideas all had to do with something very specific in mind, and Leia found that she couldn't protest much. Leia still felt a nagging at the pit of her stomach, and she kept waking up in the middle of the night, staring out at the rain and begging it to cease, at least a little bit.

She thought she would be much better at relaxing if they were at home or at least not being chased by an enemy they knew nothing about without any back up.

She could tell that Han too was becoming increasingly agitated, but he refused to say anything about it. There was something in him that she didn't possess where he could wind down no matter the situation they were in, and it was incredibly frustrating.

He had proved very and wonderfully distracting at times during the past few days, but the anxiety never went away completely. And still, the rain didn't let up. She had always been one to enjoy staying in on a stormy day or night, enjoying the romantic, mysterious feel it emanated, but this was just getting ridiculous.

The page that Han had scared two days before had stood outside the door, too scared to knock and see Han face-to-face, and called out to them that there didn't seem to be any end in sight, to stay optimistic, and that if the storm outlasted their expected stay at the resort, that the room would be complementary.

It was only when Han cracked open the door in a gesture that wasn't blatantly threatening, but because of their short history was frightening, that the page ran away and left them alone.

Thankfully there was a small freezer and heater in the room that allowed them to not have to keep ordering food, but that, along with time and patience were quickly running out. She could tell just how badly Han wanted to be on the move when he would pace around the room for hours at end.

It was only when she crashed into him doing the same thing that she realized how anxious she was herself and how similar they were in thought and action. They had laughed about it for a moment, and then he had kissed her and everything else was forgotten, but their shared beliefs spoke volumes.

When it came to battles, or in this case, stakeouts, neither of them were very patient, preferring _to do_ rather than _to wait_.

They had talked a lot about the baby, discussing names and what he or she would look or act like, but even that, moments Leia had been looking most forward to during her pregnancy, were scarred by the looming threat of catastrophe that would occur if they didn't get out of here in time.

Sometime in the very early morning, when Han and Leia were both fast asleep, Leia once again was shocked out of sleep, this time by a distant flashing.

She opened her eyes slowly, trying to overcome her drowsiness, when her vision cleared and she realized the flashing was coming from outside the window.

It took her a moment to figure out why excitement and adrenaline were pumping through her system, but it hit her suddenly and she jumped up right from the bed.

"Han! Han, you need to wake up."

He grumbled in his sleep and rolled over, trying to ignore her, so she punched his arm.

"Han!"

He could only murmur at her. "Ow..What?"

"I can see outside!"

He sat up, but still look thoroughly tired and confused. "What?"

"Do you see that flashing outside?"

His eyes followed where she was pointing.

"Yeah, so?"

"The very first night we got here, I stepped out on the balcony and looked all around us. Remember, I was telling you how the view was spectacular, but you ignored me and just tried to pull me back inside?"

He sounded annoyed and wanted her to get to her point. "Vaguely."

"Well, there was a building across from us. Not too far, but still in the distance, that had a light flashing. And it had been bothering me each night when I was trying to fall asleep because I prefer to sleep in complete darkness, but we'd always forget to shut the shades and I'd be too tired to get up and shut them then."

Han just stared at her. His mind still too tired to keep up.

"These past few nights it hasn't bothered me at all! And that's because it was raining too hard for us to be able to see anything even across from us. Han, it means the rain let up! We can leave!"

It only took him a second to grasp onto her excitement, before he had jumped up and was grabbing at his stuff.

Fortunately, Leia had been bored and prepared enough to pack all of their stuff before the moment arrived when they would have to leave. Every time Han would toss his shirt or various item down somewhere that was not inside his bag, he would be met with a menacing glare, so he learned quickly to pack things away.

They dressed with expert speed, threw their bags around their shoulders, and held their blasters in a ready position. It was still so early that anyone they ran into was more than likely going to be up to no good, so there was no reason to try to conceal their weapons.

Leia gave the room one last, quick check over to make sure they didn't leave anything behind, when Han grabbed her hand to take her with him.

"Just be real quiet like," he whispered to her as he creaked open the door.

Leia gave him a look that said that she didn't think she was the one who would be at risk to make much noise, but he ignored it.

They made it through the resort without any obstacles or people around. As she looked around for anything suspicious, Leia thought that she would have missed the place had they not been stuck in their room with people after them.

And even though they knew it, there was no way either of them could have prepared for just how heavily it was raining. They raced through the town and thankfully, no one else was crazy enough to be outside to try to stop them.

When they arrived at the shipyard and found their rented ship, it was a relief to see that it was still locked up tight, and Leia didn't sense anything wrong around them. Han quickly plugged in the password and the ramp lowered. The sound of the rain beating down on them was enough to block out any noise they were making.

Han raced towards the cockpit, Leia quick to follow, and he started to prep the ship for take-off.

He looked out the window and glanced at her sideways. "It's still raining pretty hard, but I think a pilot of my nature will be able to get through this just fine. You just gotta trust me, sweetheart."

He winked at her.

She put her hand on his shoulder in a reassuring way and said, "I always do. Now, let's go."

Leia went to settle herself into the chair next to Han's when she sensed two figures off in the distance outside.

"Han, wait. Look-"

The figures were coming closer, and even though it was still difficult to see, they looked very familiar. One very tall, the other short in comparison. The original feeling of doom settled in her stomach as recognition seeped through.

"I'll be damned." Han let out a low whistle and stood up from his chair. "Well, it looks like our trip isn't ending here after all. I don't know how they managed it, but-"

She followed him as he walked towards the ramp Han had just lowered again. Looking down, Han and Leia were met by one very wet wookiee and a soaking Jedi.

It was Han who spoke first. "What in all hells are the two of you doing here?"

Neither Chewie nor Luke answered as they walked up the ramp and into the hold of the ship. Han quickly moved to shut it and lock it up again before searching around the ship for towels for the pair to dry off. When he entered the hold, he found Leia questioning the two in excitement.

"Sweetheart," he laughed as he came up behind , "calm down and let them talk."

He handed each of them a towel, apologizing for not having much else, and put his arm around Leia's waist.

She squeezed him back and looked at Luke and Chewie expectantly.

It was Luke who spoke. "I sensed danger almost immediately after you left, but it wasn't until I was able to talk to Chewie that we both agreed that there was something much deeper going on here. It took us a few days to get a ship to come out here in the first place and we were able to land just before the storm got bad. We were ready to come out after you at that shack, but when I sensed that you guys had managed to make it back to the resort safely and there was no danger there, we figured there was no point in leaving the safety of our own ship. Since then, we've been trying to get in touch with you guys and waiting it all out."

Leia looked confused. "How come I couldn't sense you were here? Even though I haven't trained much, I've always been able to contact you."

Luke shrugged. "Must have been the weather, or something else was distracting you."

Han smirked, while Leia blushed faintly.

"Do either of you know anything more about all the bad business going on around here?" Han asked.

Chewie growled and Luke shook his head.

Luke answered, "Not yet, but I think I know a way to figure it all out."

Han held up a hand to stop Luke from talking, and sat himself down in a chair. He pulled Leia down with him to sit in his lap.

"Sorry about that kid, but I was sensing this conversation was going to be awhile and I thought I might as well get comfortable. Go ahead."


	12. Chapter 12

It was decided that no matter the weather conditions, they would set out in the morning. They were taking a risk, but wanted to try and make a surprise attack. Luke seemed fairly certain that he knew what he was doing, and after all these years, the rest were inclined to trust him.

Chewie was holed up in the cockpit, not having a spot to sleep in the small ship, while Luke rested on a cot in the hold and Han and Leia went into their temporary cabin.

Han was torn between wanting Leia to stay behind on the ship with Chewie, and having them stick together. It didn't matter either way because she refused to be left out of the action. Chewie wasn't happy himself, but they needed to be able to get out quickly and, as Han had argued, no one likes a wet wookiee.

Leia was curled up in the bunk, waiting for Han to come out of the fresher. Even though tomorrow was looming, she felt more relaxed than she had in days. It wasn't even that Luke and Chewie were here now, but more so that they were actually going to be able to do something.

She stretched and let out a loud yawn. When she opened her eyes, she found Han standing in the doorway with a crooked smile on his face.

Leia couldn't help but smile back as she asked, "What are you staring at?"

"You're adorable," he said as he walked over to his side of the bed, laid down, and pulled her into his arms. "I can't wait for all this to be over. I hate this ship, this planet, and being outsmarted."

She rolled over and kissed him. "I thought you might be used to it by now as I frequently outsmart you."

Han gave her an indignant look. "That hurts, sweetheart, I think we match each other pretty well. Although if you really want to play statistics here, I would say you weren't exactly on your A-game this time. But I won't say it because it might hurt your feelings."

Leia, who was about to kiss him for his first point changed her mind and punched his shoulder instead for his second remark.

She ignored his exclamation of pain and pulled out of his embrace. Sitting up in bed, she said, "Excuse me, Han, but I would argue that neither of us were altogether at our best. We may not have made the best choices once in the woods, but I was the one who got us there in the first place and then got us out. I don't recall you doing very much besides following me."

"Sometimes, _sweetheart_, it's hard to do anything but follow you because you never let anyone get a word in."

"Are you calling me bossy?"

Han was about to retort when a voice called at them from the other room.

"Can the two of you stop arguing for just a few seconds? We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow and I'm trying to meditate."

Han and Leia glared at each other for a moment before breaking out laughing at Luke's words.

Han pulled her back down into his arms and whispered to her. "Your brother is real strange, you know that sweetheart? I'm just grateful you never slow down enough to meditate."

Leia chuckled softly. "Yes, well anytime I do have free time, you pull me into our bedroom or a dark corner somewhere."

"Time well spent, I think." He kissed the top of her head.

She sighed contentedly. "Can't argue with that."

"You know, it might not be any of that meditating crap, but I can make something real relaxing if you like. If you want to let out some steam before tomorrow."

He was smooth and before she realized what he was suggesting, he had rolled them over so that he was on top of her and there was no denying what he wanted to do. Leia looked up at him with an expression of excitement, bemusement, and hesitation.

She whispered up at him, "If Luke thinks our arguing is interrupting his meditation, we're not going to get away with this. The ship is so small!"

"I'll be real quiet, I promise."

He waggled his eyebrows at her, causing Leia to giggle, and bent down to kiss her. She didn't even try to resist as she clung to the back of his head. The kiss deepened and Han reached a hand to slip under her nightgown when there was a pounding at the door and loud growls heard from the front of the ship.

Luke spoke through the door. "Don't even think about it."

Chewie barked his agreement, causing Han and Leia to break apart.

Grumbling to himself, Han rolled over onto his back. "I never should have let them onto the ship. They can go sleep outside in the hurricane for all I care."

Leia rolled onto her side, leaned up on her elbow and looked at him sympathetically. "Well, if all goes well tomorrow, we'll get out of here, ditch this ship, and get back to the Falcon. And I promise you'll have plenty of time to make up for it. Alone."

She smiled at him to show further assurance, but he frowned in response and turned away from her.

"What's wrong, Han?"

"I don't like 'if.' When we get back to Coruscant, we're announcing the pregnancy, so no one will try and send you off on anymore of these trips."

Leia smiled at him and spoke firmly. "If I'm not going anywhere, you're not either. I think it's about time we enjoyed some peace and quiet time." She patted her stomach. "Especially before the baby comes."

Sensing that Han was still feeling uneasy, Leia gently ran her fingers through his hair. She felt her eyes start to droop at they lay in silence, listening to the rain patter on the ship above them, when Han broke the silence.

"How'd they know?"

Leia answered with her eyes still closed. "Hm? How'd they know what?"

"About you being pregnant."

Han wasn't sure she heard him because her eyes were still closed and she was very quiet, but after a few moments she opened her eyes.

"I honestly don't know. I've been trying to figure that out as well, but I come up with nothing. Barely anyone from home knows, but those who do wouldn't be spreading it around."

She didn't say anything more, and Han didn't answer, but her thoughts were now keeping her awake. Han's question reignited a thought that she had been mulling before, but due to a few distractions had forgotten up until now. The fact that the men had known she was pregnant startled her and she wondered if maybe one of them was force sensitive. That would not only explain how they knew of her pregnancy but also that her and Han were on the planet.

Then again, she figured that she might be able to sense it, or if she didn't pick it up, Luke definitely would have known and mentioned it to them.

She was shaken from her thoughts when Han began snoring softly next to her. Wrapping an arm around him, she laid her head down on his chest. She wasn't sure what tomorrow would bring and she figured that at the moment there was no point dwelling on it. Leia fell asleep a few minutes later, confident that whatever it was they were going up against, they would fight it together.

* * *

><p>Leia did not immediately respond to the buzzing of the alarm clock, telling her she had to wake up. She had been having a wonderful dream where she and Han were on some beautiful planet, not unlike the one they were on now, minus all the rain. They had been lying on a big blanket on a beach somewhere, looking up towards the sun and holding hands. Every so often, Han would sit up and kiss her on the lips, then he would reach down and kiss her stomach twice. She had been a little alarmed by how big her stomach was, not knowing how one baby could get so big, but otherwise the scene had been relaxing, centered in happiness and love.<p>

Her mind fought to stay within the dream, desperate to ignore the blaring beeping, but then she heard Han calling to her as well. She only fully awoke when she felt his arm reach over her and throw the alarm clock off the dresser.

Opening her eyes, she found Han sitting up, rubbing at his eyes, and looking thoroughly confused. Leia knew how much he hated waking up to an alarm, but today, timing was everything and there was no point in risking sleeping past the time they wanted to leave.

Han went into the fresher first, so Leia peeked her head out to see if Luke was awake. He wasn't in the hold, but she could hear him and Chewie talking in the cockpit. After taking her turn in the fresher, she quickly dressed and braided her hair.

She emerged from the cabin to find Han holding out a cup of kaffe to her which she took gratefully. She tried to refuse the ration bar he gave her because the food was bland and it was too early to be eating, but she didn't want to argue with the way Han was looking at her and she forced it down. She just hoped that her morning sickness wouldn't kick in.

After, they joined Chewie and Luke in the cockpit, both of whom looked far too happy and alert at this time in the morning. Glacning outside, she noticed it was still pouring, but not quite as bad as it had been.

Luke handed each of them camouflaged rain jackets and boots, he apparently had come prepared for such a storm. They threw them on, hers obviously meant for someone much bigger than her, but as long as it kept her fairly dry, she wouldn't complain. She wanted to laugh at Han when he threw the hood over his head, but he was looking so determined and quiet, she didn't want to push him. They muttered goodbyes to Chewie before heading down the ramp.

Leia thought she heard Han grumbling, but she couldn't make out what he was saying because the rain drowned out all other noises. It was dark, but she was still able to make out Luke's shape ahead of her. They had decided to move slowly, even if it was frustrating to do so, in order to not risk being separated. She felt Han grab her hand and pull her closer to him before walking.

They moved easily through the town. There was no one up or around at this hour and in this weather. The hiking trail proved to be difficult though because the rain had made it very wet and very slippery.

Leia was about to give up hope of ever making it up the trail, and sensed that Han felt so to because she he hadpulled back, but Luke didn't hesitate. It seemed that the boots he had brought were designed for this sort of thing, so even though it wasn't easy, they were still able to walk up the hill. She would have been impressed by her brother's planning, but found that she couldn't focus on anything else but walking at the moment. By the end, Han was nearly dragging her through the mud and rain, and she knew that if the rain weren't so loud, she would be able to hear the slew of swears he was sure to be grumbling.

When they reached the clearing that led into the direction of the woods they wanted to take, she almost breathed a sigh of relief. They stopped only for a moment, waiting for Luke to get a feel of the place. He started walking again, and Leia went to follow him, when Han pulled her back for a moment. Sensing this, Luke stopped too, but didn't turn around.

She tried to look up at Han, but the rain was blurring everything. She could barely make out his face, except for the soft glow of his familiar hazel eyes. He didn't bother to speak though, just took her in his arms and kissed her. The kiss was long and deep, and she felt herself being lifted off the ground. He put her down, but remained holding her close, and even though she couldn't breathe very well, she didn't struggle.

Leia understood why he was doing it, but she didn't want him to worry so much. As he placed his hand on her stomach and gently rubbed it, she took his other hand and gave it a squeeze signifying that she felt the exact same way, then pulled him towards the woods.

Because of all of the trees, the rain wasn't as bad as it had been on the trail, but it was still hard to see. Han's grasp on her hand was firm and her hand was starting to ache, but Leia wouldn't let go for the life of her. She knew that he was doing it in a means to keep her safe, but she suspected that it was also a comfort for him.

It seemed like they had been walking forever when Luke pulled up short. She nearly slammed into him, but Han's hold on her kept her upright. In the short distance, she could make out the shape of the hut her and Han had escaped from days before.

Her senses were tingling, but not necessarily in a negative way. She quickly checked to make sure her blaster was still on her and felt Han do the same.

With a promise that when this was all said and done, she was going to take the longest hot water fresher and bath she possibly could with her husband on their return to Coruscant, Leia took a deep breath and waited for Luke to give the signal.


	13. Chapter 13

The rain poured down around them, providing an ominous scene. Leia felt her body tingling from anticipation and the freezing rain. Her hand was still clasped in Han's, and had she not already been drenched, she was sure they would be clammy. She was nervous and excited—it was almost over.

Peering out from under the gigantic hood, Leia averted her eyes from the hut and looked at Han. She made out his vague appearance. With squinted eyes, and what was probably intuition from knowing him so well, she recognized the look of determination etched across his face. She smirked.

She turned towards Luke and even though she could barely see him, felt his reassurance. He signaled for them to make their move. They crawled through the trees and bushes and sludge of the forest. Pulling up to the front of the hut, Leia briefly wondered how they would get inside if it were locked, but then remembered who she was with.

Luke opened the door and stepped inside. The rain muffled any creaking that may have been heard, but when Han and Leia followed suit, they were met with no resistance. Leia pulled back her hood and took a moment to relish in the warmth the hut offered. There did not appear to be any signs of life, and Han must have thought so too because he opened his mouth to speak.

"This is just great. We trudge all the way up here and there's no one even here. Was this your plan all along? You know what I think? I think they probably got caught up in the storm when it first began, then died out there in the woods. Serves them right."

Leia rolled her eyes, but secretly hoped he was right. Luke looked halfway between amused and annoyed. He gave Han a look that told him to keep his voice down, then signaled to the door where they had been taken after being captured.

Han rolled his eyes, held his blaster out in front of him, and walked towards the door. Leia went to tell him to stay back, but caught herself. Instead, she held up her own blaster to back him up. She noticed Luke didn't even have his hands anywhere near his lightsaber. He didn't sense any danger.

Han looked back at Leia, nodded, then swung the door open. At first glance, Leia didn't think anyone was in there, but when she stepped inside to get a closer look, noticed the young man who they had stunned and left behind. She was afraid for a moment that he was dead, but through the darkness, she could see he was stirring.

Holding her blaster still at eye level, she prayed that Han wouldn't get too trigger friendly right away. If they were going to learn anything about what was going on, she thought this man would be their best bet. While he had technically assisted in their imprisonment, he hadn't acted like the other two men and seemed pretty sorry about it.

For his part, Han did not move but kept his eyes trained in the direction of the man. Luke stood back, watching and calm. He spoke to him, "Where are the other men?"

The man took a long time to answer. "Gone."

Luke's patience was not matched by Han or Leia. He carried on with his questions. "Gone where?"

"I dunno. Into town somewhere probably. They went to find those two and never came back."

"Who are you?"

"I-"

"We won't hurt you."

Han snorted. Leia gave him a stern look, she felt bad for the man.

"Nikolai."

Luke smiled. "Alright, Nikolai. Why don't you stand up? I'd like to be able to see you when we talk about a few things."

Leia thought that he was just going to ignore Luke, but after a few moments, she heard the ruffling sound of Nikolai standing up. When he came into the light coming from the door, she gasped. She couldn't help herself. "What happened?"

Nikolai looked miserable. "Them. They came back shortly after the two of you escaped and weren't happy. Said I needed to toughen up. Thought they'd help me practice."

Leia grimaced and looked at Han. He appeared skeptical but concerned.

Luke motioned for them to step out of the makeshift prison and into the main area. Both he and Nikolai sat down at the desk opposite the door, but Leia and Han kept one eye trained on the door.

"Who's they exactly?"

Nikolai shrugged. "I dunno. What do you want me to say about them?"

"Their names for a start." Han's voice sounded gruff.

"Thorn. He's kinda the leader. Makes all the decisions. And Dron. Dumb sidekick if you ask me. Does all the heavy work." He grimaced as he clutched his side.

"What exactly is going on here?"

"Well, that's complicated."

Han spoke again. "Make it uncomplicated then."

Nikolai hesitated. "At first, I didn't think anything bad. They came to me looking for help with something and it sounded innocent enough. It wasn't till you guys showed up that I started realizing things weren't as they seemed."

Han looked like he wanted to say something else, but Luke interrupted him.

"Why did they come to you?"

"I dunno. I guess probably cus I can sense things. Like intuitively. I dunno why but people are always coming to me for help. I like to help them."

"What do you mean sense things? How do you do that?"

The young man looked confused and sat still for a moment in contemplation.

"Well, there was that day in town. We were standing outside one of the storefronts and then they were walking by and Thorn and Dron. Well, they looked kinda afraid and interested and stopped talking. And I kinda just looked over and immediately I sensed something. I didn't mean to say it out loud, I was just kinda surprised and said it to myself and they heard."

"What was it you 'sensed?'"

Nikolai blushed and averted his eyes. "She was pregnant."

"And you couldn't have noticed it just from looking at her physically. It came from inside?"

He nodded and Luke looked at him and smiled. "I think I understand what's been going on."

The man looked at him, expectant.

"I think you might be force sensitive. Do you understand what that means?"

Nikolai looked at him with a mixture of fear and excitement.

"I-I, well I always thought I might be, but I wasn't sure. I didn't know if it was something that even existed and then everything happened with you and I thought-well I thought maybe. But I didn't even know if it was something I wanted."

"It's not something we can choose. It makes sense though doesn't it?"

Nikolai nodded in response and sat back in the chair, thinking. Luke waited patiently and Leia herself was trying to come to terms with all of this. Han, however, was growing in his impatience.

"This is all fine and stuff and I'm sure you're gonna want to go over all of this, but can it wait till later? We still have a problem on our hands. Like what in all hells is going on here?"

Luke gave Nikolai an assuring look before answering Han. "I don't think that's something Nikolai quite understands himself. If I'm right in my assumptions, I believe that Thorn and Dron either knew, or highly suspected, Nikolai's force abilities, and have been using him to keep an eye out for any Alliance involvement. They use him as much as they can without letting him in on the secret. Is that right?"

Nikolai nodded enthusiastically, in the hopes that if he shook his head hard enough, Han would be more inclined to believe him. Instead, Han ignored him and let out a dramatic sigh.

"Great, still we got nothing."

Leia was the one to speak. "I wouldn't call this nothing, Han. I think Nikolai will be a great asset. Now that they don't have him on their side, they won't know what to expect."

"Sure, that's all great and fine. But we need to find them first."

Luke interrupted them. "I know where they are. I just needed to get to Nikolai first."

"You mean that we didn't need to come up here? It was a krethin mess, kid." He looked at Nikolai, threatening. "You better be worth it. So now what?"

Luke looked a bit sheepish. "Now we go back down."

* * *

><p>It had been hours since they made it back through the forest, down the hill, and to the ship, but Han still had not spoken. Leia knew it was really bad when he didn't try to join her in the fresher.<p>

Chewie seemed a little surprised to see them back so soon, and with an additional person, but listened quietly and accepted the story. He set to work making them lunch, while Leia watched Han stalk off towards the cockpit. She decided to give him some time and take her fresher first, then she would talk to him.

The sonic fresher in no way compared to the hot water she was accustomed to on the Falcon and back home, but at least she was clean, even if she had to go back out in the weather in a few hours anyways. She gratefully accepted the food from Chewie and asked if Han had eaten yet. He shook his head, so she fixed him a plate, and told the others she would be back. Luke and Nikolai were deep in conversation and didn't look up at her.

Stopping in front of the door, Leia took a deep breath and braced herself for what was waiting for her. She knew he was frustrated. She matched his frustrations and wanted nothing more than for this all to be over. For him, for her, for the baby, for them

When she stepped inside the cockpit, Han turned around to see who had come in. She took it as a good sign that he didn't look angry with her and offered him the food. He accepted and offered her the seat next to his. They ate in silence, listening to the rain pouring down outside and Luke and Nikolai's voices drifting from the hold. Every so often Chewie would join in with a woof of his own.

She decided to break the silence. "We've done a lot of waiting around, huh?"

Han nodded and laughed in a humorless way. "You could say that, yeah."

"Luke knows what he's doing."

"Doesn't make this thing go any faster. I hate the rain."

Lei gave him a skeptical look. "You love the rain."

"Sometimes. But that's only when we're alone and home and it's warm. And we can spend all day together in bed. Alone. Did I mention alone?"

"You mentioned that a few times. But I'm going to make this up to you in the best way."

Han scoffed. "Let's not get too excited, there are other people around who are _sensitive_."

"It's something to look forward to."

He didn't answer, just shook his head in an impatient way. They both gradually turned their attention to the rain outside, sitting in comfortable silence. She knew he wasn't mad at her, but the situation.

Han broke the silence first. "I'm telling you right now, sweetheart. If your brother wants me to go back out there, it better be to find some action."

She laughed and leaned over to kiss him on the lips. "I completely agree."

* * *

><p>It was about an hour later when Leia found herself pulling back on the heavy jacket. She couldn't muster much enthusiasm when she thought of how cold and wet it was going to be, but she couldn't help but laugh at Han in his jacket. He was grimacing, but at the sound of her laughter, turned towards her. His stony face relaxed into a wide grin.<p>

"Like this, sweetheart? Maybe I'll ask Luke if I can borrow it on a more permanent basis." He affirmed his point with a wink. In the crowded room, the only person who was blushing harder than Leia was Nikolai.

Han still hadn't exactly warmed up to him, but at the moment, was accepting his presence, and that was all they could really ask for. Han sighed and turned to Luke.

"You better know what we're doing, kid. If I have to go back up that trail, I think I'd rather drown."

Luke laughed. "Don't worry. This time we're going into town."

"To find the bad guys?"

Luke nodded. "To beat the bad guys."

Han shook his head in appreciation, checked his blaster, and threw his hood over his head. He looked at Leia again.

"What about you, sweetheart? Ready to kick some ass?"

Leia gave him her most proud look. "I'm always ready to kick ass, Han." With that, she led the group out of the ship and back into the rain.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I'm kind of relieved this story is over because I'm really not sure how it went. I hope you all have been enjoying it. For my next story, I don't think I will have such a focus on a secret mission or anything like that. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

The walk to town was not nearly as bad as the one leading out of it. It was mid-afternoon now, but still no one was out or anywhere to be seen. The rain made it easier and more difficult for them at the same time.

Leia thought that it might be clearing up a little because she could vaguely make out the figures of Han, Luke, and Nikolai around her. Now that she knew that Thorn and Dron had depended largely on Nikolai for helping them get information, and that they were mainly the muscle in the operation, Leia felt much more confident this time going to face them. The men were going to be outnumbered and caught by surprise.

She didn't realize the others had stopped walking until Han pulled her to a stop. She looked at him questioningly and he nodded towards Luke. Her brother was now standing in front of an innocent looking store front and peeking inside. Luke looked at Nikolai, who nodded, before turning to Han and Leia and motioning them forward. They held their blasters out in front of them and waited for Luke to open the door.

The store was dark, filled with ship equipment and hiking gear that, had they not been in the middle of an attack, would have made Han very excited. Everything was mostly out in the open, but the group dispersed, checking corners and spaces where someone could be hiding. They worked in silent anticipation. Leia could feel her heart beating against her chest, waiting for someone to jump out at any moment.

She definitely sensed something foreboding in the air. When they came up with nothing, they congregated in the center of the store. Luke spoke in a low and hushed voice.

"I didn't think anyone was up here, but I wanted to be sure."

Han looked up at the ceiling. "What do you mean 'up' here? Is there a 'down' there?"

Leia gave him a reprimanding look, but noted that it was a good question.

Luke motioned for Nikolai to respond, who hesitated, but looked Han in the eyes.

"There's a secret passage leading to the basement. They have a space down there where they spend most of their time and probably do whatever it is they've been hiding."

"Of course there is. And you have no idea what it is they've been doing?" Han sounded annoyed.

"Well, I've never been allowed down there."

"You never thought to ask?"

"Of course I did, but it wasn't something I could just bring up casually. They're not very friendly."

"Funny, I noticed that when they ambushed us in the woods, beat me, then chained us up in a hut."

Nikolai blushed. "Sorry about that, but it shows you how impossible it is to deal with them."

Han looked ready to come back with another retort, but Leia interrupted.

"Instead of arguing over something we don't know, how about we just go down there and find out for ourselves?"

Han smirked at her and pulled her to him. "My little voice of reason." He kissed her head but Leia shrugged him off. "Alright boys, you heard the lady. Let's go."

They all turned to Nikolai who took a deep breath and stepped towards the back corner. He pushed a large rack of jackets out of the way, careful to make as little noise as possible, and revealed a door.

Han rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded like "typical."

Nikolai stepped back from the door, not wanting to go first. Han sighed and stepped in front of it. Holding his blaster up, he thrust open the door, and squinted into the darkness. A steep stairway began immediately at the top of the doorway. Han glanced quickly back at the others before starting his descent.

Leia held her breath the entire way down. She had no idea where the staircase led, what might be waiting for them, and she didn't like that Han was leading the way. She felt Luke stop in front of her, almost bumping into him in the process. Holding a hand up behind her, she wanted to make sure Nikolai didn't fall and knock them all down.

She felt Luke grab her hand and her feet hit the solid ground of the landing. Squinting into the darkness, she noticed another doorway standing in front of them. She knew at that moment that the men were behind the door. Aiming his blaster at the doorway, Han kicked open the door and they all stepped inside.

This room was large and open. The light seemed even brighter due to the darkness in the rest of the store. There was a long, round table lying in the center of the room with what appeared to Leia to be a big map of the planet and various lists and information. Thorn and Dron, who had been standing over the table, now looked up in alarm, grabbed their blasters, and pointed them back.

Dron began to laugh. "I was wondering when you'd finally come. You're a traitor, Nikolai. You were supposed to be on our side."

Nikolai did not look happy to be addressed directly, but put on a brave face and spoke in defiance. "I was never really part of the team. I had no idea what you were even doing."

"'Cus you couldn't be trusted. Clearly." Dron's voice was gruff and stupid sounding in Leia's opinion.

"As much as I hate to break up this little reunion, I think it's time we finally got some answers. Now drop the blasters," Han's voice was much more authoritative than Nikolai's.

Dron spoke again. "Or what? How about you drop your blasters, huh?"

With a swift flick of his hands, the blasters flew towards Luke.

Han watched with a laugh. "Or that. Now sit."

The men looked at each other before pulling their chairs closer and sitting down.

"Not so powerful now you don't have your secret weapon, are we?" Han stepped closer to them. "So can someone now tell me what's been going on? And there's no point lying. I'm probably gonna shoot you anyways."

Now standing in front of the table, with his blaster still pointed at the men, Han did a quick glance of the papers on the table. "What's all this? Not very organized."

The men remained quiet.

Han looked up at Luke. "They're not gonna answer so you might as well do your mind trick thing. It hurts right?"

The corner of Luke's mouth twitched, trying to hide a smile. Thorn and Dron looked at each other, panic rising in their eyes. Luke closed his eyes and held up his hand towards them in dramatic effect. Dron spoke up.

"We didn't mean for it to get so bad, it just kinda happened."

Han was standing with one hand holding his blaster, the other on his hip. "What 'just kinda' happened?"

Dron looked at Thorn who rolled his eyes and took over speaking.

"We were asked to help out with tourism around here. How to make the planet more interesting, get more people to come, but still keep the small planet thing in mind. And we were good at it. It was the hottest place to be until the krethin rain took over and held tourists hostage and kept any new ones from coming in."

He paused and looked around.

"And the more successful we were, the more power they gave us. All these numbers and information about government operations and what not. But we didn't really get much money for it. And we were working all the time. But the higher-ups stopped paying attention to how we were doing it and just focused on the results."

Thorn had stopped talking, so Han nudged him along. "And?"

"And so we decided to make some extra money. Nothing too harmful about that, right? I mean, there was so much coming in."

"When did the extra pocket money turn into violence and disappearances?"

"That part's complicated."

"Ya know, people keep saying that, but it doesn't really move things along. Explain."

"Well, we discovered that we were good at that too. Making money, I mean. No one noticed at first so we started taking more and more. Made a good sum of it too until someone started poking around. We just meant to scare him, but-"

He stopped talking.

Han was growing impatient. "But what?"

"But Dron got a little too excited and took it too far. Hit the guy a little too hard so we had to get rid of him. That's why we got the hut in the woods. Dron's been going out there since he was a kid and no one ever goes near there anymore. So we buried him next to it and promised we'd be better."

Han looked at him then the others. "Something tells me things didn't exactly get better from there. Do you need some help trying to remember? Luke?"

Thorn sighed and continued. "No, I guess you could say that. Our little accident caused some attention, except not from any of the higher-ups. They're mostly absent and don't really care so long as money's coming in."

Han laughed humorlessly. "That's usually how it is. Go on."

"Well, after the emperor went down, some Imps came to Pizluine because it's quiet and nothin' really ever goes on around here. Somehow they caught on to us and wanted in. Started running trades and stuff and we never complained because we still got our cut. We had to do a lot of the busy work, get rid of snoops or what not, but we tried to keep it as clean as possible."

"So where are the Imps now?"

Thorn looked at Dron out of the corner of his eye. "They scattered. Must have heard the Alliance was starting to pay attention and got out of here as fast as possible. We should have known. Or at least, I should have known, but all of a sudden they were telling us that we could take things back over because they wanted to move on."

"Where does the kid come into all of this?"

"We were paranoid, rightly so, so we went to him. Told him that we were looking for a new partner, but really we just needed someone to keep an eye out. He's always had this intuition about him and he was always eager to help people. We wanted to make sure no one suspicious was coming around. At first, we were afraid the Imps would come back, but then we recognized the two of you and thought that was much worse."

"So you thought you'd just take out two of the most recognizable faces of the Alliance and you'd be cleared?"

Thorn laughed. "Clearly we weren't thinking. All we knew was that we needed to do something cus you two were coming after us. We didn't know what in all hells we were gonna do once we had you."

"Where'd the Imps go?"

"No idea."

"How many people died because of your business?"

Thorn sighed and rubbed his eyes. "More or less than a dozen I guess."

Thorn stopped talking and this time, Han didn't try to press him for more information. He turned to Luke, Leia, and Nikolai who all had their blasters trained on Thorn and Dron.

"This all seems a little too easy." He shrugged. "But I guess there's always gonna be Imp business. At least we figured out what's been going on here."

He turned back towards the two men as Luke and Leia stepped forward to cuff them.

"It's a shame it had to come to this. You did do a pretty good job with tourism. Maybe you could do the same kind of fixing up the prison."

* * *

><p>Leia had never appreciated the Falcon more than she did now. The second he had landed the rented ship, Han bade farewell to Luke and Chewie who were transporting Thorn and Dron, grabbed her arm, and steered her towards the Falcon. He spent a good twenty minutes looking over the ship and making sure she was still in the same condition he had left her in. When he was satisfied, Han typed in the coordinates back to Coruscant, hopped into hyperspace, and dragged a very willing Leia towards the Falcon's water fresher.<p>

They didn't emerge from the cabin until the very last hour of the trip. Han was much calmer and happier than he had been in days.

Sitting in the co-pilot's chair, Leia gazed appreciatively at Han as he concentrated on his ship.

"I wonder what the Alliance is going to do with Thorn and Dron."

Han looked at her. "I don't care what they do so long as it doesn't involve me or you."

Leia laughed. "I'm surprised Nikolai didn't want to come and train with Luke."

"Yeah well, Pizluine is the kid's home. I'm sure he wants to try and help settle things over there. Then maybe he'll be ready. I meant what I said, that place really did have potential."

"Mmm, maybe one day we can go back."

"Not for a long long while."

Leia smiled at him and grabbed his hand, just as the Falcon was about to land.

"You were very good in there, talking with them I mean. Authoritative."

Han smirked. "Yeah? You liked that did you?" He pulled her into his lap and kissed her. "I learned from the best."

"Are you calling me bossy again?"

"You're the one who termed it."

Leia glared at him and pulled away. "Han Solo, I was going to give you a huge reward but now I'm having my doubts."

"I'm not worried. You can't resist me." He stood them up, grabbed her hand, and led her out of the ship and towards home.

*A few weeks later*

Leia was growing increasingly nervous the closer it came to the time Han would be getting home. She left work early because she wanted to make an impromptu visit to the doctor. When her suspicions were confirmed, she was even more excited and nervous than she had been originally about her pregnancy.

She had even turned Threepio off for the news so as not to agitate Han in anyway. He was in for quite a surprise and was just now getting used to being back home and calmer about what had happened on Pizluine.

When the door creaked open, she stood up from the couch and stood waiting for him with her hands clasped in front of her. Her face must have been one of concentration because when Han stepped in and saw her, his grin faded and was replaced with a frown.

"Oh no."

"Han-"

"No way. No more missions. We just got home. Can we please at least try to give this child a normal life?"

Leia smirked.

"This is not funny. I'm serious, you promised!"

"Han-"

"Leia-"

"It's not another mission."

"But you're looking at me like you normally do when you have to tell me something you're not sure I want to hear."

She smiled openly now. "It's not a bad thing."

Han looked at her suspiciously. "Then what is it?"

"I stopped by the doctor's today after work-"

He immediately walked closer and pulled her to him, placing his hand on her stomach. "Is everything ok?"

Leia laughed. "Everything is fine, Han. Let me explain."

She took his other hand and squeezed it in reassurance. "Ok, well. The signs have been there for awhile now, but we were so busy with the Pizluine situation that I was never really able to think more about it."

"More about what?"

"Han, I'm pregnant-"

"I've noticed."

She swatted his shoulder. "Let me finish! I'm- we're having twins."

Leia only knew he had heard her because he was silent and looked like he had been stunned. He kept his hand on her stomach, but did not look at her. She laughed nervously and pulled his chin up so he would look at her.

"Han-"

He shook out of his reverie, broke out in a wide grin, and kissed her. After breaking the kiss, he picked her up and swung her around before carrying her down the hallway and into their bedroom.

~The End~


End file.
